John Humphries’ life as a student will end in May when he graduates with a degree in Marketing, but the LSU senior still plans on pursuing his first love — golf.
Humphries began playing golf when his father took him to the golf course at the age of five. He considers his father, a former LSU golfer, to be the greatest influence on his game.
“My dad played a lot so I would go out to the course with him and sit on the range and hit balls,” Humphries said. “He taught me from the time I was five years old, and now I even ask him a few things, and he’ll help me out with my game.”
Humphries has dedicated his performance in this weekend’s Southeastern Conference Tournament to his parents. The tournament will most likely be the last of his career unless the Tigers make the NCAA Tournament.
“I’ve got pretty high expectations for SEC’s. I played well there a few times before in my career, and it’s been a good year [for me] so I anticipate playing well,” Humphries said. “I know it would thrill him and my mom more than anybody to do well. That’s all I’m really trying to do is please him.”
With Humphries being the lone LSU senior, he has taken a leadership role this year more than ever before. He leads the team this spring with an average of 72 strokes per 18 holes, which puts him at even par. Humphries likes his role as leader.
“I’ve had so much more experience than all the other guys,” Humphries said. “We don’t even have another upperclassmen playing in tournaments all year. I’ve seen all the courses and played all the tournaments so I can just kind of help out all the guys and tell them what to do and where to go.”
Humphries said getting to know other LSU golfers has been the best thing about his collegiate career, but his favorite moment came last year when the Tigers defeated defending national champion Florida in its own tournament.
“Last year, the first tournament of the spring we won Florida’s tournament,” Humphries said. “It’s always been the hardest tournament to win in college golf … because they’ve always been so good and had such a good home course advantage. They were the defending national champions, and we went in there and beat them on their home course.”
When Humphries finishes his collegiate career at LSU, he plans on going professional just like his father. He hopes to stay on tour longer than his father, who quit after two years of professional golf for law school.
“I’m probably going to stay as an amateur this summer and then turn pro some time in the fall,” Humphries said. “It’s kind of a long road for golfers before they can become successful professionals, so hopefully I can get started out playing mini-tours well, and then you never know what can happen after that.”
Humphries has had fun playing golf over the past few years and will not hesitate to hang up the cleats if the game becomes burdensome.
“I think it’s more fun [than work],” Humphries said. “I think if it ever just turns into total work, it’s time to shut it down.”