Stacy Lewis hosted a special junior player ahead of the Kia Classic
World No. 3 Stacy Lewis went several extra miles this week for one of her biggest fans she met last fall.
Last October, producers from the syndicated TV show “The Doctors” contacted Lewis to see if she would help them for a segment they were doing on 10-year-old Marley Franklin, a young girl who fell in love with golf after receiving bone-marrow transparents to treat sickle-cell anemia. Franklin said Lewis was her favorite player. Lewis was more than happy to connect with Franklin, doing so over Skype.
But it didn’t stop there. Through her sponsor Bridgestone, Lewis sent some equipment and apparel to Franklin. Lewis also invited Franklin and her family to this week’s Kia Classic.
However, Lewis went even further, hosting Franklin and her family, as well as teeing it up with Franklin during the pro-am. Franklin got to shadow the two-time major winner, including attending the pro-am party and having a seat on stage for Lewis’ pre-tournament news conference.
“Golf is very important to me,” Franklin said on stage. “I love how it just makes me feel. I play almost like every day.”
Franklin has been playing for two years now and is ranked 55th in the world in the Girls 10-11 age group — quite an achievement for any player.
Even better, Marley’s sister Maya, who donated the bone marrow used in the transplant, is starting to take up the game.
“Sometimes she’ll mimic me putt,” Franklin said, “and she’ll be like, ‘I made it. I’m going to beat sissy some day.'”
Ryan Ballengee is a Yahoo Sports contributor. Find him on Facebook and Twitter.
