Sports are often thought of as activities done for fun, but for junior Josh Stauffer, golf is a way of life.
“Growing up, I was surrounded by golf,” Stauffer said. “My dad is a golf pro in Bradford, Pennsylvania, my hometown, and my mom works at the golf course too. So, when I was younger, I was always at the course. My parents used to bring me to work with them.”
Unlike other children, who usually have a variety of interests, Stauffer’s sole focus growing up was athletics, he said.
“My whole childhood was based around sports,” Stauffer said. “I played all kinds of sports growing up like basketball, golf and baseball. As I got older, I played golf a lot more and practiced a lot, too.”
As he grew up, Stauffer gradually stopped playing other sports competitively, dedicating all of his time to golf.
His game improved, and he became eligible to compete in the International Junior Masters, the oldest international junior golf invitational in North America. It was at this tournament that Stauffer engineered one of the greatest accomplishments of his career.
“The first round, I didn’t play that well and shot an 80,” Stauffer said. “The next round, I played really well and shot 65. I shot the tournament record, and that tournament has been going on for over 60 years. A lot of professionals have played in it, so it was really nice to be able to do that.”
Stauffer’s play garnered interest from several colleges, but he said he opted to stay in the area, choosing to come to St. Bonaventure despite the difficulties of playing golf in the Olean climate at a school not known for its golf program.
“The last couple years before I came here, the golf team was struggling. I knew Darren [Simons]; we had played a lot in high school. So when I knew he was coming, I thought ‘I’ll come too, and maybe we can build this program up to what it was five or ten years ago.”
Stauffer’s decision turned out to be a good one, and his effect on the team was seen immediately.
“My freshman year, we won the [Leo] Keenan Invitational (an invitational hosted by St. Bonaventure),” Stauffer said. “Winning that home tournament and showing that we had the ability to do it was really nice.”
Rather than complaining about the weather in Olean or using it as an excuse for poor play, Stauffer views the winter season as beneficial to his game, he said.
“I like taking some time off, not playing golf 12 months a year,” Stauffer said. “Playing competitive golf all year can wear on you. So playing seven or eight months and then taking some time off is nice. Especially here, you can’t play year-round, so you’re not sitting around thinking that you should be playing.”
The weather has not hindered Stauffer at all, and as the spring golf season begins to heat up, he has his mind set on success, he said.
Stauffer finished in the top 10 of the conference tournament both his freshman and sophomore years, and his goal is to win the conference championship before graduating.
After leaving Bona’s however, Stauffer plans to move his focus away from golf.
An accounting major, he hopes to move out of the area and land a job with a major accounting firm. While he still plans to play golf, he does not anticipate a career in golf, saying, “I’d like to play golf leisurely on my own time.”
