“I hate losing.”
This is how junior golfer Darren Simons described his relationship with the sport he loves. Simons, a native of St. Marys, Pennsylvania, grew up surrounded by sports and competition.
When he was young, Simons competed in several other sports including tennis, basketball and baseball, but as he got older, golf became his primary focus. “When I was younger, I won a lot of tournaments, and I kept winning,” Simons said.
“So I figured I had a chance to do something special if I could play that well at that age.”
As he continued to find success in golf, Simons also saw members of his family enjoying success with sports, an experience that further motivated him.
“My older brother [Keith Simons] played golf in college at Robert Morris [University], so I wouldn’t say that I looked up to him, but his success let me know that I had it in me to be good,” Simons said. “I tried to shape my life toward golf and toward trying to get a scholarship to play in college.”
After a coaching change prompted him to leave the University of Maryland, Simons transferred to St. Bonaventure before his sophomore year, where he re-focused on playing golf. He became more dedicated and more motivated to succeed, he said.
“In high school, I could show up, go play and beat everyone. I had a mindset where I knew I was going to win. In college, I know I have to play my best just to compete. To have a chance to succeed, I really have to work. I have to set goals and play my best. It’s tough, but it’s good.”
Simons said the pressure of competitive sports drives him to succeed.
“You have to put pressure on yourself and say, ‘I’m going to go out here and do this, and if I don’t, I’m not leaving”’ Simons said. “You always want to be the best; you can’t settle for second or third.”
According to Simons, the will to win comes from within, but he also takes pride in showing others how hard work and dedication can pay off.
“People are always asking about me when I go home, so I don’t want to let the city down,” Simons said. “People look up to me as a golf figure just like they look up to others as basketball players or football players. There are kids from home that come up to me and ask me about golf, and I don’t even know them.”
Golf is often considered a gentleman’s game, but for Simons, each invitational is a chance to compete and an opportunity to succeed.
