Sarah Burnham, A Career Interrupted

I am always impressed by players who seem to come out of nowhere to become competitive at a high level. A high school player becomes a good college player or a college player qualifies for the tour and is successful. Such is the case of Sarah Burnham. 

“I call her a leveler,” said her teaching coach Aaron Jacobson. “Every time she moved up a level, from the first time she tried out for the high school team as a seventh grader all the way up to the tour, she would initially be intimidated by the players. But then as she got comfortable she would be very good.” 

Apparently passed over by the likes of Duke, Stanford and Oklahoma State, she was welcomed by Michigan State where she was twice player of the year in the Big Ten and runner up in the Big Ten Championship. 

Playing events in Minnesota, Sarah won everything that was offered. The Women’s State Open, Women’s State Amateur, and the State High School Championship all have her name on the trophies. 

Sarah graduated from Wayzata High School in 2016. It was an unusually strong group of players in the state that year which included Kinsey Nissen who went on to Oklahoma State and won the Big 12 championship her freshman and sophomore years. 

“I am always thinking about ways to improve,” said the friendly, approachable Sarah. “I found out how to play in college.”

“I have coached for 25 years,” said Stacy Slobodnik Stoll, head Women’s Golf Coach at Michigan State. “Sarah is the hardest working person I have ever seen. It was like she came to Michigan State to do a job. She is an amazing person.”

Aaron Jacobson her teaching coach concurs. “She has it in her mind that she has to work harder than everybody else.”

“She would come to practice with an agenda and would accomplish it before leaving,” said Stacy. “She flips a switch at the range. She is a great iron player and hit 95% of the fairways in college. She would almost always follow up a double bogey with a birdie on the next hole or two.”

But nobody’s skills are perfect. “One thing about her game is that she hits so many greens she chips infrequently,” said Stacy. As a result she is working on that area of her game. 

“Another thing, she is very superstitious,” Stacy said with a chuckle. “She wore the same pair of golf shoes the last two years of college. When she would find a club she liked we would get a second as a back up, in case something happened to the original.” 

Stacy said, “I believe Sarah is one of the best in the world.” 

“The first couple of events in 2019 I didn’t feel like I belonged,” said Sarah. “I was nervous to play practice rounds with good players. I didn’t want to get in their way.” 

She missed the cut in the first five events she played in, but then made the cut in the last five of the year. “I finally felt comfortable at the Meyer Classic in Grand Rapids, Michigan. I had played in the tournament previously as an amateur. It was the first cut I made. I made enough money at the event that I got into the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship at Hazeltine here in Minnesota.” She was exempt by a mere $3.

It was a cold, windy day when she teed off on Friday of the KPMG. After an opening round of 78 she was going to have to play considerably better to make the cut. “It was one of the best rounds maybe in my life considering the conditions and situation,” Sarah said. Firing a 71 she made the cut on the number. It was one of the best rounds of the day.

A few weeks later with her father caddying she had a top 10 finish at the Cambria Portland Classic in Portland, OR. “He was good. He had positive comments. He does get a little nervous out there, however.”

She finished the year with $66,713 in money winning, high enough to keep her card. With much of the 2020 schedule being cancelled or postponed, the LPGA has ruled that 2020 card holders will retain playing status throughout 2021. 

After traveling with family members to start her career, she is now traveling alone at age 24. She books all her travel, handles housing and on site transportation. 

“It’s been nice to be home and not travel,” she said several weeks into the pandemic caused break. “I haven’t been using my mind so I signed up for an online real estate course.” Not a surprise to those that know her, always trying to be better.

“Last year I played nine weeks straight, six days a week. With the traveling and working out, my arms were sore from playing so much.” 

“We talked about not playing or practicing every day,” said Aaron Jacobson. “She was afraid she would lose her swing if she didn’t practice every day.”

“I believe a lot has to do with her upbringing,” her Michigan State coach said. “Expectations by her father. She is never above anything. She was raised as a workhorse.”

“He was a positive influence,” Aaron Jacobson said. “He came to lessons, but he was not over the top. He would listen and watch. Ball striking is the strength of her game. She found a way of doing things her own way. She has come into her own on confidence.”

During the pandemic a small tour was set up in the Phoenix area. Called the Cactus Tour, there were about 25 women that played three round tournaments. Several LPGA Tour and Symetra Tour players were in the field. Sarah played three times, winning twice. 

Later in the spring she traveled to Florida to play a similar event with a similar field. She shot 63, 69, to win. It was the lowest round she had ever shot. 

“When she gets comfortable she is very good,” said Aaron. It looks like Sarah Burnham is comfortable at the highest level. 

On one hand Sarah has had her career interrupted. However she has used it to improve her skills and prove to herself that she can win against LPGA quality players.

I look for Sarah Burnham to be at the top of the leader board for many years to come in this Life In Golf.