MARION (WSIL)-- As sports start to slowly return to the region, we're already seeing our local athletes have some success. Marion’s Sarah Capel won her first golf tournament of the season.
"I played in a tournament and got dead last, so I was going in pretty nervous, just wanted to improve my game and score a little better than the day before and just try and get better," said Capel. "I was playing in a much harder golf course than I played the day before, so I was just going in trying to do my best and improve."
As more courses reopen and tournaments resume, Capel been taking advantage. Thursday, she won the Gateway Junior League Tournament in Cape Girardeau.
"It definitely improved my confidence going from last place to first place," said Capel. "I definitely didn’t score what wanted to, but it was a very difficult course, and I was proud of myself for my back 9 after struggling really hard on the front 9 at a course I had hardly ever seen before."
Last year, the Marion golfer was Southern Illinois' lone qualifier for the class 2A State tournament. Heading into her junior year, she’s eager to go back.
"Going in, I am hoping to place top 10. Those are just some of my goals," said Capel. "Last year, I was trying to get my feet wet in the state tournament, and I’m going to go out and do the best that I can and try and get some college attention."
Capel hopes for the opportunity to play Division 1 golf in college. Swing Coach Andy Church sees big things in her future.
"She has the work ethic," said Church. "She has the grades to go anywhere she wants in this country. Coaches are not just looking for golf skills, too. She is going to improve so much in the next two years as she collects a lot of this new tournament experience, so there is no telling what could happen."
Capel’s passion for the sport began a long time ago. For the Capels, golf is a family affair.
"Me and my sister started playing around the same time," said Capel. "We’re about nine years apart, so when she was a freshman in high school she started playing. So around then that’s when I got my first set of clubs, and I was just trying to keep up with her. It wasn’t until I was 8 or 9 that I really got into it, and I started playing in tournaments."
"She always wanted to be like her sister," said Capel's father, John Capel. "I remember the day she was so stressed. She was afraid she wouldn’t make the high school golf team because she wanted to follow that direction of her sister and that been her goals, and she just has been a hard hard worker. She works at it every day."
"I wanted to play everyday," said Capel. "I wanted to spend all hours of the day on the course to practice and get better. I started shooting pretty well my freshman year. I worked all summer long trying to get better and improve my scores, and I just absolutely fell in love with the game."
