Over the next several weeks LPGA.com will take a look back at Epson Tour players landing inside the top-10. This edition of the 'Meet the Epson Tour Grads" features Sadena Parks. She had five top 10 finishes including two wins. She finished ranked No. 4 in the Volvik Race for the Card and earned LPGA membership for the 2015 season.
Sadena Parks has swagger – maybe more than any other player on the Epson Tour or LPGA Tour. She's not arrogant or supercilious – she's confident. Further, there may not be another player that has more fun on and around the course.
It wasn't always the case. In 2013, her rookie season on the Epson Tour, Parks didn’t play well and wasn’t having much fun. She finished 99th on the Volvik Race for the Card money list and made just $3,600.
Her outlook on the course changed and so did her results in 2014. Her scoring average dropped by a full two strokes (74.44 to 72.21). The area of her game that improved the most was between the fairway and greens. In 2013, she ranked 110th in Greens in Regulation (61.6%) compared to 34th in 2014 (68.1%).
Most of all, Parks needed structure in her life and golf game. In the first part of 2014, she was traveling just with her caddie, a longtime family friend.
She had some strong finishes, but also missed three cuts in her first six events. Then, her golf coach Lewis Green, began to travel with her full-time to provide guidance on and off the course.
In her final nine events of the season, she posted two wins and seven total top 20 results.
Parks’ first win was remarkable. She was in a tie for 15th heading into the final round, a long shot to even crack the top 5. She fired a SEFCU Championship at Capital Hills record tying 9-under 62 to win by a stroke. People began to take notice.
She became just the second African American to win in the 35-year history of the Epson Tour. She doesn’t think a lot about the historical significance, but she understands that her success is unique.
“Kind of how Tiger Woods changed golf, I want to be the next African-American out there on the LPGA Tour,” said Parks after her win in Albany.
She finished second the week prior and might have won if not for a tee shot on the 54th hole (three round event) that found the water.
Two weeks after her first win, she bested good friend and fellow Big Break Florida contestant Jackie Stoelting on the second playoff hole to win again, this time in New Hampshire.
“This second win just shows how much I’ve improved over the year,” said Parks in New Hampshire. "It not only means a lot to me, but I know it means a lot to my fans, supporters and my team.”
Another turning point for Parks in 2014 was qualifying for the U.S. Women’s Open in Pinehurst. It opened her eyes to the LPGA Tour and also to the extent in which she could influence the game.
“There were people along the ropes screaming out ‘Big Break’ and ‘Go, Sadena!’ ” she said. “I had so many fans, and I did not know. It was awesome."
“That gave me a purpose to influence others in a whole different aspect.”
She’ll have the chance to become the first African American to win an LPGA Tour event, ever. That will go a long way in influencing others.
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