Connor Holcroft '22 Recruiting Profile

My passion for golf started at age thirteen.  I have always played all kinds of sports:  ice hockey, all-star/travel baseball, tackle and flag football, lacrosse and basketball. But the first time I touched a golf club, I realized that I want to compete at the highest levels. To me golf is the greatest sport there is because of the honor and commitment required to succeed at it.

Both my parents, all my grandparents, aunts, and uncles have college degrees. There has never been any question about me going to college to earn my degree. My older sister is currently a sophomore in college. My dad and his two brothers were all three-sport high school athletes, collegiate athletes, and were inducted into their High School and College Athletic Halls of Fame.

Leadership has always come naturally to me. My grade school teachers reported that the other kids always seemed to followed my lead. True leadership is setting an appropriate example and acting in a mature and ethical way, for the benefit of the team. This year I am extremely proud to have been selected to lead the PVHS Golf Team as captain.

When I was a freshman I was cut from my high school team. I was very hard on myself for this, but in reality I had only picked up a club for the first time a little over one year prior and the team had just won multiple state championships. It was actually a big achievement to be so close to making it, because I only missed by 0.165 strokes and one spot. This turned out to be one of the best things that has happened to me because it ignited my incredible drive, natural optimism, and commitment to training. My parents hired Todd Demsey, a 20-year veteran of the PGA /Korn Ferry tour to help improve my game.  He was a four-time All American at Arizona State and the Individual 1992 NCAA Division I National Champion. He has taught me not only how to golf better, but to be humble, and to lead.   

I improved my scores and I made the 2018 varsity team. Coach Leapley provided a first opportunity for me to break into the top six at the 2018 National High School Invitational in the Junior Honda Classic, at PGA National's Champions course. Most importantly, our high school won that tournament. My contribution to the team was as the low scorer (76-71, tied for 6/132). We also won a 2a Florida State Championship that year. In 2019 I played regularly in the number three position and finished the season as a 1st Team All-St. Johns County (tied for 4th place at 72). 2019 also included a top 5 finish at Districts, an eleventh-place finish at regions, and a top 30 finish at Florida States. I also had several under par rounds in tournaments. We finished 2018, 2019, 2020 (and 2017) as the Florida State 2a champions.

Attending a college where improvement is possible every day in the classroom and on the course, is my next goal.  It is important to me to make my parents, family, coaches, and university proud. There is not a recruit out there that is as committed to studying, training, practicing, and leading as I am. I am excited to find the right college match and compete at the highest possible level.