In 2007 the old Sammi Sloan shot a 91 and missed the 18-hole cut. Last year she missed another cut, carding a 163 through two rounds at Lost Marsh before her exit.
But that was the old Sloan. The new one -- the one that just wrapped up her freshman year at Illinois and has been zoned in on the course all month -- is just getting started.
A few weeks ago the Marian Catholic grad won a two-woman qualifier at Lost Marsh to earn a spot as the local amateur in the field of 144 for this week's Futures Tour stop. Two shots back at the turn, Sloan punctuated her round with a 10-foot putt for a 76 to win entrance into the Horseshoe Casino Classic by one stroke over Penn grad and Missouri junior Julia Potter of Granger.
After that Sloan fired a 1-under 71 to win the third event in the Taylor Made-Adidas Collegiate Series June 11 at the University of Notre Dame -- by seven shots. Then this week she shot an even-par 72 at Kankakee Country Club to earn the top seed at the Illinois Women's Amateur Championship and advanced to the semifinals of match play with three wins before losing Thursday.
Now she's ready for what she hopes will one day be the next step in her continuing education in golf, the Futures Tour, where budding pros from across the globe vie for LPGA Tour cards.
"I'm like a completely different player than I was," Sloan said. "I have a lot more experience and I'm able to stand pressure. I'm more on their level, I guess."
Lost Marsh, meanwhile, is happy to host for a fourth year and has a contract that runs through 2010.
"It's not very often you get to see professional-level golf at your golf course," Lost Marsh director of golf Don Plohg said. "The caliber of golf is way above what we see every day. For enthusiasts it's a chance to see some exciting golf."
Sloan's turnaround and renewed confidence are products of her first season of Big Ten golf. Though just a freshman on a young team, Sloan led the Fighting Illini in stroke average with a 77.88. She was the only player on the team to play in every event and had seven top-25 finishes.
"I learned a lot about myself and my game," Sloan said. "Just the way that I've been playing lately is so much better. I've come so far."
The marketing major had to learn a lot about management this year -- time management and course management.
She had to learn to play smarter and get to know her way around the course better. That included being more creative with shots and club selection and exploring all options on a given hole.
She'll have help this week. When the tournament starts on Friday at Lost Marsh, her brother, Mt. Carmel junior-to-be Bobby, will be her caddie.
"He knows my game better than I do sometimes," Sammi said. "He's really good at putting and reading greens, so that's definitely nice to have."
Now Sloan just hopes her personal version of summer school continues deep into next weekend's event. Her goals are to make the cut and make the top 25.
"If I play my game like I know I can, then I will," she said. "Every year I learn more."
