Stephanie Sparks (1973–2024), golfer and The Big Break host

Stephanie Sparks was an amateur golf champion who hosted TV shows on the Golf Channel, such as the reality competition series “The Big Break.”  

• Died: April 13, 2024 (Who else died on April 13?) 
• Details of death: Died at the age of 50.
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Stephanie Sparks’s legacy

Sparks had a brief professional golfing career after rising as a promising amateur. She was an All-American at Duke University in the early 1990s, and she began competing in amateur tournaments while she was still in college. Sparks won tournaments like the 1993 Women’s Western Amateur and Women’s Eastern Amateur, and she played on the U.S. team for the 1994 Curtis Cup. She joined the LPGA in 2000, but throughout her amateur career, she had been dealing with injuries. After having back surgery in her first year as a pro, she had to retire.

After her retirement, Sparks was able to stay connected to the sport she loved, initially appearing in the 2004 drama “Bobby Jones: A Stroke of Genius” as golfer Alexa Stirling. That same year, Sparks began working with the Golf Channel, initially hosting “Golf with Style!” She became best known as the host of “The Big Break,” a reality show that gave promising amateurs a chance to go professional. Sparks also hosted “Playing Lessons with the Pros” and offered tournament updates.

Tributes to Stephanie Sparks

Full obituary: Golfweek

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