Julia Sizemore is a hit on the golf course, but if not for her parents, her long drives might have been from her swinging a bat, not a club.
The Bel Air senior grew up playing travel softball and didn?t begin playing golf until she was 13 years old. But as soon as Sizemore started blasting tee shots down the middle of the fairway, she honed her talent by trading her bat for a driver. It turned out to be one of the best decisions Sizemore has ever made, as she earned a partial golf scholarship to play for Newberry College, a Divsion II school in South Carolina.
“One day my mom put a club in my hand and found I had some natural talent,” Sizemore said. “It?s such a challenging game. I wanted to stay with it. I have been brought up to push myself to the limit.”
Her limits grew last year when she finished second at the Harford County tournament, and then won a playoff to claim the District VII title. Sizemore used that momentum to propel her to a tie for fifth place at the state tournament at the University of Maryland Golf Course, carding an 82 the first day and 80 the second. Her score of 162 equaled Magruder?s Hilary Lawson and was 13 shots behind champion Lauren Smith of Arundel.
Now, Sizemore?s goal is clear: position herself to win every tournament.
“I say my goal is top-five at states,” Sizemore said. “But I think if I keep playing the way I played last year I think I can place top 3. I used to tell my Dad, ?I?m doing fine,? and he tells me I can do ?finer,? and that is a little motto I have going through my head and pushing me to do my best.”
Added Sizemore?s mother, June: “What sets her apart is that she has a quite confidence about herself, and in the same time she is humble about what she is doing. I never know on the course how she is feeling, she never reveals it.”
But Sizemore?s best may be yet to come. Maryland?s climate makes it difficult for golfers to play year-round, but in South Carolina ?a state known for its beautiful weather and lush, green courses ?Sizemore will be able to play during the winter months without wearing a jacket.
“Golf is really important to me and I will be able to play year round there,” said Sizemore, who plans to major in business or mass communications at Newberry. “The competition is definitely more difficult and the field of opponents is larger.”
But right now, all Sizemore is focused on is leading the Bobcats to become the first team from Harford County to win the 4A-3A state title in the event?s 36-year history.
“At our level of competition, one or two strokes decides matches,” Bel Air coach Robert Handy said. “We would like to go to states and win the county tournament, but we know it?s a tough goal.”
