Leveling the playing field

The bright yellow golf balls are dumped into the driving range tray and barely stop their chaotic dance when Kathleen Sitton reaches a tiny hand in, grabs one, tees it up, straightens and is into her swing.

Thwack!

It's a line drive with a low trajectory, perhaps owing to the 4-foot-10 Sitton's own low trajectory. The ball goes straight and, as she often does, Sitton watches until it take its last revolution over the dry, bumpy ground before she's at it again.

Grab a ball, tee it up, straighten, swing.

Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!

Some golfers have a one-piece takeaway. She has a one-piece everything.

Her playing partner and part-time mentor, Becky Thomas, confides, "She hits it a lot faster than I do."

Iron Byron has nothing on Hittin' Sitton. There is a national championship just a few days away, and she seems intent on packing in as many practice swings as possible. It's a hot day, no shade. A couple of times she gets ahead of herself and swings over the ball. Sometimes they dribble to the left or pop to the right.

After a mishit, Thomas makes a suggestion.

"When you do that," she says, "take a moment to set up."

Sitton heeds the advice and collects herself. It works. Her next shot is flush and powerful.

"That was good," applauds Thomas. "Good recovery."

Not every shot in the competition will be off a tee, so Thomas reminds Sitton to hit some off the ground. One crisp iron later, Thomas is grinning. "Nice job. You're gonna do it for us, lady."

And so it goes. Apart from Sitton stopping to swig water or, when her tray is empty, to pirate away handfuls of balls from Thomas', it's more of the same.

And why not? This is a unique place for Sitton. She is challenged daily by tasks to which most of us don't give a thought. A Special Olympian, she has overcome and continues to negotiate obstacles that are largely unfathomable.

But when she has a golf club in her hands, the field levels just a little. Golf allows each of us our moments. As Sitton again makes solid contact, the strapping man at the end of the range chunks one, and the athletic woman behind her hits a snap hook.

There's an element of fairness, perhaps, however subtle.

Sitton, the daughter of Ann and Dan Sitton of Medford, is 21 and has been in Special Olympics more than half her life. She's competed in a variety of sports and is also fond of powerlifting and bowling.

But golf is a game she began playing with her dad at age 7 and the one that earned her a trip to next week's Special Olympics USA National Games in Ames, Iowa. She will be one of 193 golfers in various divisions from 41 states, having earned an invitation by winning the Oregon state title last year, with Thomas at her side.

Thomas and her husband, Scott, have a son, Seth, who is also a Special Olympian and was a classmate of Sitton's at North Medford High. When Sitton last year asked Thomas to be her golf partner, the latter readily accepted.

At nationals, they'll play an alternating-shot format for nine holes, with Sitton teeing off on the odd-numbered holes, Thomas the even. They can't take a score higher than 10. There's a qualifying round Monday, then two days of competition. Sitton fully intends to do well, but first things first.

"I hope to hit the ball far the first time I try," she says.

It's a businesslike tone and as detailed an answer as she will give. A bit shy, she doesn't talk much to those she doesn't know well. Much of our interview went something like this:

How do you think you'll do at nationals?

"Good."

Are you nervous?

"Yes."

What's the strongest part of your game?

"Driving."

Her father, Dan, chuckles.

"Once you get to know her, she starts talking your ear off," he says. "Sometimes she'll go out, store it all up, then bring it home and tell me. She'll talk to me for an hour."

Thomas chuckles, too.

At last year's state tournament, she and Sitton played in relative silence for nine holes. But when Sitton made the final, winning putt, the floodgates opened.

"We got the gold, and that was so exciting," says Thomas. "She didn't stop talking until after we walked all the way down and through the lunch tent. I'd never seen her put a string of words together like that with me. When that last putt dropped, then I was OK."

Dan, an avid golfer until issues with his back proved limiting, got Kathleen started early. They played together often, and she learned the nuances. Lately, she's put it all together: chipping, putting, "even her drives are outstanding," says Dan. "I'm really proud of her."

There was a moment when Kathleen was less than proud of Dad, however. They were alternating shots during a just-for-fun round, and she hit a drive to behold. Long and high and straight. A beauty. An absolute, 150-yard keeper. She beamed.

Then it was Dad's turn. He airmailed the green.

"She really wasn't impressed," he laughs. "She was joking around with me, 'Dad! What are you doing!' She's always been fun to golf with. She's really upbeat all the time about the sport. I think that's important."

If anything put her demeanor to the test, it was the state tournament last weekend at Trysting Tree Golf Course in Corvallis. Sitton and Thomas had previously tied for the gold medal at regionals and were primed to win their second straight Oregon title.

But heat and humidity took its toll on Sitton. She and Thomas were in contention going to the last hole when Sitton became ill and couldn't continue. Paramedics were at her side in no time and she was soon rehydrated.

"She handled it really well," says her father, "but she really did want the gold."

They plan to avoid a repeat incident at nationals. There will be lots of drinking water, a spray bottle, even a cooling collar.

Thomas and Sitton have game plans, or rules, if you will, for each other.

Thomas wants Sitton to pace herself.

"She goes so fast," she says.

Then she turns to Sitton and prompts her: "And what are my rules?"

Sitton doesn't skip a beat.

"No sand ... no water ... no trees ... no bushes."

There's one other rule: have fun.

If they follow them, they just might add another very special title to their cache.

Have a local golf story? Reach sports editor Tim Trower at 776-4479, or e-mail ttrower@mailtribune.com.