COMMENTARY: Past, Future Meet

Open Paves Way For Golfers

Summar Roachell of Conway tees off on the 10th hole in the final round of the KPMG Stacy Lewis Junior Open Thursday, June 20, 2013, at Lost Springs Golf Course in Little Flock. Roachell won the three-day tournament with a score of 214.

LITTLE FLOCK

Golfers posed for plenty of pictures following the KPMG Stacy Lewis Junior Open on Thursday, but one in particular stood out for Arkansas fans.

That’s when a future Razorback received championship glassware from a former Razorback. Specifically, it was Summar Roachell of Conway accepting the award from Stacy Lewis, who graduated from Arkansas in 2008 and is now one of the top professionals on the LPGA Tour.

There are celebrities and sports stars who add their name to an event then disappear. Not Stacy.

Lewis had a busy week while preparing for the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship in Rogers. That’s a big deal with more than 90 of the top 100 golfers on the LPGA money list competing.

But Lewis made it to Lost Springs Golf and Athletic Club late Wednesday afternoon for a presentation with the junior golfers. She returned on Thursday to participate in the award ceremony and pose for even more pictures.

“It was great having Stacy Lewis out here,” said Todd Pinneo, golf director at Lost Springs. “She talked for a few minutes on Wednesday, then opened it up for questions. That went on for a good hour and 10 minutes. She did a wonderful job with the kids.”

Roachell, who’ll be a freshman at Arkansas in August, shot 73-72-69-214 to win the girls division of the Stacy Lewis Open. Griffin Pierce of Edmond, Okla., finished with a 219 to win the boys title in a three-day event that featured 96 junior golfers from 16 states as well as Argentina, Canada and Mexico.

“I’ve wanted for a while to put my name on something, just to give kids more of an opportunity to play,” said Lewis. “This was the second year of the tournament, and I think we were able to work some kinks out. It went really well, and I’m excited to keep it going.”

Roachell will keep going as well before she joins the Arkansas women’s golf team in the fall. She’ll carry some added confidence with her on the next stop after winning her first championship on the junior circuit.

“I didn’t play my best the first day, but I grinded out a 73 and got better as the tournament went on,” Roachell said. “I really played the par 5s well the last two days.”

Lost Springs now returns to normal after hosting about 100 golfers and their families last week. It was a busy but memorable time for the club members on the golf course at Little Flock.

“These kids were pretty impressive,” Pinneo said. “I’m sure you’ll see quite a few of them in the college ranks shortly and even a few onto the professional level, eventually.”

Who knows? Maybe there’ll be a Summar Roachell Junior Open in a few years.

RICK FIRES IS A SPORTS WRITER FOR NWA MEDIA