FALL ATHLETES Conner Stevens

Brookfield High junior Conner Stevens is living proof that golf can get the best of everyone.

He is also living proof that perseverance pays off.

Stevens was 4 when he was introduced to golf. He spent winter vacations playing the sport in Florida with his father and grandfather.

Stevens quickly fell in love golf, and by the age of 8 he was competing in tournaments.

“I was bad, like I was really bad,” Stevens admits. “I was finishing last. I thought that maybe golf wasn’t the sport for me.”

However, Stevens enjoyed being out on the golf course way too much to give it up. He began taking lessons, and within a few years he made great strides. By the time he was in the eighth grade, his confidence — and his play — soared.

“My scores were getting lower and lower, and heading into high school I felt like I was capable of competing at that level,” Stevens said. “A few years earlier I was frustrated with my game. But by the ninth grade I felt like maybe I belong.”

As a freshman, he helped lead Brookfield to the state tournament, where the Warriors finished fifth in Division III. As a sophomore, Stevens shot 3-over par, finishing second individually at state.

After leading Brookfield to a district crown in OCtober, Stevens finished second overall at the state meet (174, 3-over par) while the Warriors as a team also earned a second-place finish.

“It was great finishing so high, but at the same time when you’re that close you want to win it all, but that’s golf,” Stevens said. “I’ll definitely shoot for the top next season for my senior year.”

Stevens also has many goals to shoot for beyond the prep level. He plays in numerous tournaments throughout the year, and he’s also eager to get the second hole-in-one of his career. The first came in 2016 at a tournament at the Barberton Brookside Country Club.

Stevens’ ultimate goal is to play well beyond the high school level.

“I want to play in college, and beyond that I want to turn pro. I can’t say that it will happen, but I’ll do whatever it takes to give myself a shot,” Stevens said.

— Steve Ruman, The Vindicator