Michigan Golf Journal April 2018

College Corner HOPE’S JOSH GIBSON TO DEFEND DIV. III NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP LJ ůĂŶ ĂďďŝƩ Hope College golfer Josh 'ŝďƐŽŶ ŵĂĚĞ Ă ŶŝĐĞ ĂĚĚŝƟŽŶ to his bag last spring – an individual NCAA Div. III Championship. He then added conference ŵĞĚĂůŝƐƚ ŚŽŶŽƌƐ ĂŶĚ Ă ƌĞĐŽƌĚͲ ƐĞƫŶŐ ƚŽƵƌŶĂŵĞŶƚ ƌŽƵŶĚ ŽĨ 61 in the fall to a growing list of accomplishments. There is a common thread between these impressive ƉĞƌĨŽƌŵĂŶĐĞƐ ďLJ ƚŚĞ ϮϬͲLJĞĂƌͲ old graduate of Grandville ,ŝŐŚ ^ĐŚŽŽů͕ ŚĞĂĚ ĐŽĂĐŚ ^ĐŽƩ Lokers says – it is Gibson embracing success in those ƉƌĞƐƐƵƌĞͲƉĂĐŬĞĚ ŵŽŵĞŶƚƐ ŽŶ the course. ͞tŚĞŶ ƐŚŽŽƟŶŐ Ă ƌŽƵŶĚ ůŝŬĞ 61, a lot of players would start overthinking, lose focus and pull back,” Lokers said. “Josh, ĂŌĞƌ ŵĂŬŝŶŐ Ă ĨĞǁ ďŝƌĚŝĞƐ ŝƐ like, ‘Let’s make some more birdies.’” dŚĞ ƉĂƐƚ ŐŽůĮŶŐ LJĞĂƌ ŚĂƐ been a memorable one for Gibson. In May, he won Hope ŽůůĞŐĞ͛Ɛ ĮƌƐƚ E ŐŽůĨ ƟƚůĞ ďLJ ǁŝŶŶŝŶŐ Ă ŽŶĞͲŚŽůĞ ƉůĂLJŽī ǁŝƚŚ Ă ƉĂƌͲϰ ŽŶ ƚŚĞ ĞdžƚƌĂ ŚŽůĞ Ăƚ DŝƐƐŝŽŶ /ŶŶ ZĞƐŽƌƚ ŝŶ ,ŽǁĞLJͲ ŝŶͲƚŚĞͲ,ŝůůƐ͕ &ůŽƌŝĚĂ͘ ,Ğ ĮŶŝƐŚĞĚ ƚŚĞ ĨŽƵƌͲĚĂLJ ƚŽƵƌŶĂŵĞŶƚ Ăƚ ϭͲƵŶĚĞƌͲƉĂƌ ĂŶĚ ƌĞĐĞŝǀĞĚ ĂŶ Arnold Palmer trophy for his victory. He also helped the &ůLJŝŶŐ ƵƚĐŚŵĞŶ ƚŽ Ă ƉƌŽŐƌĂŵͲ ďĞƐƚ ƐŝdžƚŚͲƉůĂĐĞ ƚĞĂŵ ĮŶŝƐŚ͘ Credit: Allen Tedder Photography