Champions meet first at Batson, then in winner’s circle

Ryan Armour started Tournament Week of the Sanderson Farms Championship by visiting the focus of the state’s premier PGA TOUR event: patients in Batson Children’s Hospital.

That Tuesday, Armour, who went on to win the tournament, met Samantha York, another champion, during his visit to the hospital’s hemotology-oncology floor. Samantha’s no stranger to challenges, but she keeps a champion’s attitude and a winning smile. Tucked into rainbow-colored, tiger-striped linens, Samantha, quite the conversationalist, kept Armour and his fellow golfers, Austin Cook and Shawn Stefani, entertained.

“I visited Batson hospital this week . . . and it was very enlightening,” Armour said. “I’ve visited many children’s hospitals . . . and it always shakes your heartstrings.

“It’s good to know that what we’re doing out here and all the charity dollars that are raised go to such a good cause, because I saw it firsthand this week with the patients, and one of the patients I met is here on the front row. (Samantha) was an inspiration to us all.”

See the video of Armour’s speech here.