John Michael OBrien '20 Recruiting Profile

I love golf and I hope to keep playing through college and for my whole life.  Golf has taught me a lot of valuable life lessons.  I am a good team player whether I am playing well or not.  Golf is humbling and I have learned that you don't always have your A game.  I love watching friends and teammates play great and set personal bests.  

I was introduced to the game by my Dad and fell in love with it during a family reunion.  I was 10 years old, watching my Dad, my uncle, a cousin and my father and law all miss a 30 foot downhill putt in a big family captain's choice tournament.  My Dad let me try the putt and I made it on the first try - it felt great.  Obviously the rest of the game did not come that easily.  

I have always had a good short game.  Probably because I spend 40+ hours a week in the summer at our country club and have since I fell in love with the game.  I have been mostly playing on lightning fast, tiny greens.  I am a very aggressive chipper and putter and it works well for me.  

I lettered my freshman year on the defending VA 4A state champions.  I shot 76 in one of my first tournaments even though I couldn't hit it more than 195 yards.  I have grown and I am much longer now.  I have set personal bests for scoring in 2019, including a 3 under par 69 in a warm up round for the VA Junior Stroke Play Championship.  I qualified for that tournament the next day.  I led my high school team in scoring in 2018, and was the top qualifier at districts, but our team didn't make regionals, so I was disappointed.  I have improved every year and every month I have played.  One of my biggest lessons was this year when I shot even par 72 for T3 after day 1 at the Independence High School Invitational (Independence in Richmond, VA)  I had never been in that position before and I was really nervous with lots of college coaches watching our group which had all the leaders.  I really stumbled out of the gates on day 2 and shot a 79.  I know if I get in that position again, I will be better prepared.