BRACEBRIDGE - A competitive nature and a love of golf are leading Bracebridge’s Krista Thorpe, 18, to the greens in South Carolina this fall on a golf scholarship to Coker College. Having two older brothers to keep up with probably didn’t hurt either.
Thorpe has golfed since the age of five, following in her brothers’ footsteps.
“Her brothers played competitive golf before her,” said her dad, David Thorpe. “They dropped off just when she decided to em-brace it.”
“They quit when I started beating them,” explained Krista.
At the age of nine, she started entering and winning tournaments. This year, in high school action, Thorpe won the Muskoka-Parry Sound secondary school championships, then placed third at the Georgian Bay Secondary Schools Association competition, which earned her a spot at OFSAA (Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations). There, out of 132 competitors from across the province, Thorpe came 25th.
“That put me on the map for the colleges,” she said.
Graduating this year from Bracebridge and Muskoka Lakes Secondary School, Thorpe was offered her choice of four golf scholarships at schools throughout North and South Carolina. She chose Coker because of the success of their boys program.
“It’s their first year doing a girls team,” explained Thorpe. “But the (girls’) coach coaches the boys and they placed third in the conference this year.”
“It’s a good opportunity for her,” said her dad. “They take sports more serious than at college and university up here … plus she can play every day down there.”
Over the summer, Thorpe plans to work on her short game while she continues to compete on the Bay Area Golfing Series (BAGS) Junior Golf Tour. At the recent BAGS Phreshwear Junior Invitation, sponsored in part by Metroland, Thorpe added a win in the girls division to her list of achievements, with a score of 84 on her home course, Muskoka Highlands.
Her best score to date is 82, but she is hoping to reach the 70s this summer, before heading off to South Carolina in August.
Over the years, she has had many coaches, most recently Darrick Harrop, head professional at Muskoka Highlands for the past three years.
“She’s going to do well,” predicted Harrop. “Her ball striking is pretty good. Actually, it’s becoming very good.”
While he believes Thorpe’s strength is her ability to bounce back during a game, quickly forgetting the hole she just played and moving on to the task at hand, Thorpe’s confidence lies in her drives.
“I have long drives,” she said. “That’s how I intimidate people … because I outdrive them all.”
An all-round athlete, Thorpe also plays high school basketball, volleyball and soccer and has competed in track and field. While attending college, she will study exercise science and one day hopes to become a personal trainer or sports coach. However, her more immediate goal is to play on the LPGA (Ladies Professional Golf Association) tour.
“It’s a tough step,” said Harrop. “It really is, for guys and girls. Only a select few, probably only one or two per cent coming out of college are going to make it there.”
Thorpe was quick to add, “and I’m going to make it.”
In other golf news, Remington Fielding, 15, of Gravenhurst has added two more top-three finishes to his play in the BAGS Junior Golf Tour. On May 30, Fielding ended 18 holes at Orr Lake Golf Club in a three-way tie for second with a score of 81. The following week, he tied for third place with a 76 at Muskoka Highlands in Bracebridge. He is currently in second place for points in the juvenile division with 130.33.