Sarah White has been playing golf since she was five years old, thanks to her older brother who got her into the game. The two have an unbreakable bond over their shared passion and have experienced big milestones together. Sarah’s brother plays on the Korn Ferry Tour, the PGA Tour’s equivalent of the Epson Tour.
White says she was the “annoying little sister” who always followed in her brother’s footsteps. He sparked her passion for both golf and ice hockey, one that worked out and another that remains a dream.
“I’ve always wanted to be a pro golfer,” said White. “I’ve got pictures in scrapbooks that say, ‘I want to be a LPGA player in the summers and an NHL player in the winters.’”
The 2020 rookie earned Epson Tour status by winning the 2020 Founders Tribute at Longbow Golf Club. She entered the event as a sponsor’s invite and left as both a champion and Epson Tour member.
“I’m just happy to be out here, I think it’s such a great tour,” said White. “Epson has done such a good thing for women’s golf, and I think they’re just going to continue the growth. We’re super appreciative of what they’ve done.”
White’s brother was on the bag for her win at Longbow, making the victory that much sweeter. She calls him a mentor and recalls how supportive he’s been throughout her career.
“That was my favorite memory I’ve ever had with my brother,” said White. “It was so special because he knew exactly what to say, he knew exactly what I needed.”
On her final hole, White had a 4–5-foot birdie putt which led to some brotherly love and advice.
“He literally takes me by the head and says, ‘You have made a million of these, what’s one more’,” said White. “I just remember standing over the putt, I hit it, then I see it fall in and he just starts screaming. It’s such a cool thing because he was there all along and he believed in me even if I didn’t believe in myself that much.”
The Michigan native has also served as a caddy for her brother and was there to cheer him on in his final stage of Q-school for the Korn Ferry Tour.
“All of my siblings and I are very, very supportive of each other,” said White. “My brother and I have a very great connection because we both understand the grind. We have different perspectives on things, but we are very, very similar in our game.”
If either of the siblings are struggling with their game, they know what to do. The duo will pick up the phone to talk it out and use each other’s knowledge as power.
“It is so great to have somebody that understands your game like the back of their hand,” said White. “It’s a great connection we have, and we’ll take that to the grave.”
While White dreams of someday earning status on the LPGA Tour, she keeps focused on the realistic now. She says she’s still learning and has improved her game greatly during her first two seasons as an Epson Tour member. Her priority is having fun playing the sport she loves - something she'll get to do this week at the Island Resort Championship, a placed she's teed it up before.
“It’s been a dream since I was five [to play on the LPGA Tour],” said White. “Now I’m 24, going to be 25 in July, so 20 years going strong, and I don’t plan on quitting any time soon.”
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