After shooting a career low and winning medalist honors at the 2022 Mississippi Athletic Conference tournament, Senior Sam Johnson bypassed his closest competitor by 9 strokes. Being down two shots after day 1, Johnson came back to claim his title as this year’s MAC champion.
The game of golf became an influential part of Johnson’s life at the young age of 5. Playing in various events throughout his springs and summers, he found a lot of success in golf. Johnson has been a prominent member of the PV Golf team since his first varsity appearance his sophomore year, and the love he receives from his coaches and teammates is strong evidence of this.
Junior Owen Wright has had the privilege of playing with Johnson for the last two years. Wright considers Johnson to be not only his teammate and captain, but one of his closest friends.
“Sam is so enjoyable to be around. Playing golf with him is one thing, but the way he pushes all of us to be better is another. His leadership shows up when we need it, making him an overall great teammate,” Wright shared.
At the conference tournament, Johnson came up one shot short of tying the school’s 18-hole record, previously set by Jack Dumas, whom Johnson played with for the entirety of his sophomore season. Dumas had a lot of talent, and it became easy for a young player like Johnson to look up to him.
Both being members at Davenport Country Club, a relationship was formed that grows a lot deeper than just golf. Just this past summer, Johnson caddied for Dumas as he attempted to qualify for the 2022 John Deere Classic. Being able to watch the way Dumas handled his bad shots and analyzing the ways he chose to recover led Johnson to experience the great mental growth all players need in golf.
Johnson credits lots of his success to the great coaches he has been able to gain instruction from, and they have a lot of great things to say about him. Coach Mike Nedelcoff has been the boys golf coach at PV for 6 years, coaching the girls team as well for the last 4. He has also formed a connection with Johnson that goes far beyond the expectations of any standard coach.
“Sam has been one of the most consistent players in our program over the last 3 years and has continued to work to become one of the finest high school players in the state. It has been a pleasure coaching him and watching him continue to hone his craft as well as become a great leader of the team,” Nedelcoff said.
Nedelcoff isn’t the only coach who predicts a bright future for Johnson. David Lawrence is the assistant golf professional at Davenport Country Club and has been assisting Johnson in his golf game all throughout the summer. He would agree that Johnson’s best golf is ahead of him.
Johnson and his teammates have come up second in the past two class 4A State Tournaments. As the team approaches their regional qualifier, high hopes are formed for the duration of the season. This being his senior year, Johnson would love to end it on a high note.
“The goal is always to win it all and I know this team and I have what it takes to get it done on October 8th,” Johnson commented.
Today, the Spartans will be competing for a district title and chance to make it to this year’s Class 4A State Tournament. Moving forward in the postseason, they hope for a chance to win the tournament, hosted at Elmcrest Country Club this Friday and Saturday.
The slogan “unfinished business” has been used for the last couple of years by both the boys and girls golf programs at PV. With a history of runner-up finishes for both teams, there comes a time and place to end that streak. On Oct. 7 and 8, the PV boys golf team has a chance to set a standard for years to come, encouraging the boys below them to follow in their footsteps.
Johnson is currently undecided in terms of his post-secondary path, but he is sure golf will be a part of it. With the scores he has posted throughout the summer and fall, he is sure to receive lots of looks this winter, and will hopefully narrow down his options as signing approaches in the late spring.
