Stillwater golfer Sicard is no stranger to adversity

Stillwater sophomore Sammy Sicard knows how to handle adversity, on and off the golf course.

Sicard was 2 years old when he was diagnosed with Crohn's disease, a chronic condition of the gastrointestinal tract and a type of inflammatory bowel disease.

He often got sick as a youngster. Eventually, Sicard had a feeding tube for six years. He started golfing fairly regularly a couple of years after receiving the tube. Now, with the tube taken out when he was 12, his symptoms are all under control.

"It was much nicer when I got the tube out, but it didn't impact me that much," said Sicard, who is now starring for the Ponies. "It was pretty much all I knew."

Senior Lars Lillehei has been golfing almost daily with Sicard for four years.

"He seems to deal with it pretty well," Lillehei said. "He doesn't seem to let it affect him that much. We've been good friends and good competitors. He gives it his all out there."

Sicard overcame a different sort of difficulty on the golf course this past week to earn his first trip to state. Not playing his best round, Sicard rallied with three birdies on the last four holes to card a 74 at Bunker Hills. Stillwater junior Evan Anderson also qualified for state.

"I think he was 80 pounds at the time," Scanlon said. "He steps up to the practice green and drops three balls down. He's a real talker. He was talking, talking, talking. While he's talking, he drains three 20-footers. And he says, 'Do you want to watch me hit some more putts?' I said 'No, I think I have a pretty good feel for your putting. Why don't we go hit some balls?' " Scanlon said with a laugh.

Because of Sicard's condition, he always has been smaller than most kids his age. His short game was solid growing up, because he had to work on it constantly. That helped compensate for a lack of distance off the tee.

But now, driving is "one of my strengths," Sicard said. "It's kind of nice."

"He hits the ball as long as anybody in the state," Scanlon added. "He's a long hitter. He's scary long."

Sicard earned medalist honors at four events this spring. At Highland National, he shot a 70 to co-medal in a 10-team tournament, knowing that a Gophers assistant coach was following him around the course. Sicard has interest from Division I schools, including Minnesota, Stanford and Kentucky.

"I just want to play well and put a good showing up," he said.

Scanlon remains a huge fan.