Sami Khan, a sophomore from St. Louis, has been playing golf competitively since she was 10 years old.
The fashion merchandise major got started when she was only 6 because her family was involved in the sport.“I guess I’m just like my family,” Khan said. “My uncle played and taught me when I was 6, and my older sister played too. She’s 10 years older than me. Her high school team won state, and that’s kind of why I started doing it competitively.”
Just like her sister, Khan’s high school team also won state, and she was a state medalist all four years.
Currently, Khan plays with a four handicap and averages high 70s each game.
Khan considers her best golfing game to have been at a very early age.
“My best game? I don’t know… I know I had my first hole in one when I was 10,” Khan said. “It’s pretty funny. My sister was playing with me and she got a hole in one, and then I got one right after. And neither of us have had one since then. That was probably my best game.”
It is Khan’s second year on Lipscomb’s golf team under Coach Buddy Harston, and she said she really enjoys her coach and her teammates.
“My coach is a character,” she said. “He always takes us to Dairy Queen after tournaments or always takes us out to eat. He’s a really good coach. Even at tournaments he just likes to have fun. He has us practice really hard, and that helps us qualify for everything. We work really hard, but once we get to tournaments, he eases up. When we practice, we put in work so we can relax when we get to tournaments, and it really pays off.”
Last year, Harston coached both the men’s and women’s teams, but this year Harston only coaches the Lady Bisons.
“He’s taking a more involved role with us,” Khan said. “He actually talked to me for like half an hour today about my game.”
In its most recent tournament, the team got second place, which is a season best.
“We had three of us make top ten,” Khan said. “Me and MacKenzy Carter both tied for sixth place, and Savanna Schubert got second place.”
Khan said the team is receiving many new benefits to help them further improve their game.
“We’re getting a home course that we practice at,” Khan said. “We just got a contract for Nashville Golf and Athletic Club in Cool Springs, and it’s one of the toughest courses in Nashville. And we’re getting a short game practice, you know like chipping, putting and things like that.”
The next Lipscomb women’s golf tournament is the Austin Peay Invitational, which is Oct. 14-16.
Khan also mentioned an upcoming tournament that’s a little farther down the road.
“We also got invited to the University of Hawaii Invitational, which will be in March,” she said, “so we get to go to Hawaii. And that’s a pretty big deal.”
Khan said the golf team will be trying to raise money from students and supporters.
“We’re trying to raise $500 per player,” Khan said. “We’re going to be doing some fundraising, making T-shirts and things like that, so, hopefully, we can afford the trip because I’d really love to go.”
Photo courtesy of Lipscomb Athletics.