Ohio State golf commit Joe Wilson IV ends Lakota East career with state title
LIBERTY TOWNSHIP, Ohio (BVM) — Joe Wilson IV has accomplished plenty on the golf course, as has his Lakota East team over the last four years. However, one thing eluding Wilson IV was a state title. That was until last month.
Holding a plastic club in his hands since he could walk, Wilson IV has been destined for a special career in golf, and he has seen success at every stop.聽
By the time he was able to turn in his plastic clubs for a real set, Wilson IV began loving the game while he worked on his chipping and putting, two of his biggest strengths.聽
鈥淚 loved the artistry of short-game work,鈥� Wilson IV said. 鈥淲hen I was a kid, I was just having fun, there wasn鈥檛 a care in the world. I just enjoyed every second of being out there and being outside. It was just me and the golf ball having a blast.鈥�
While the technical aspect of Wilson IV鈥檚 golf game has always been there, what has really developed over the last couple of years is a strong mental game. Many around him have described Wilson IV as having the mindset and maturity of a 40-year-old. It is that maturity that has allowed him to play so well in big moments while also becoming a true leader for his team.
鈥淭he mental part of the game is by far the biggest part and it鈥檚 been something that has really allowed me to try to make smart decisions in tournaments,鈥� the Lakota East senior explained. 鈥淎lso, if I鈥檓 having a bad day, I鈥檓 able to really battle back.鈥�
Some of that maturity on and off the golf course likely came thanks to his older sister, Bree. After a terrific high school career herself, Bree has gone on to play at Rhodes College.聽
Growing up in the game with her was one thing, but now being able to take away parts of the college experience from his older sister as he soon heads to do the same has been beneficial for Joe.
鈥淚t was great to be able to have that outlet of just taking a five-minute break and hanging out with your sister,鈥� Joe said. 鈥淗er hard work and motivation, not only on the golf course, but in the classroom as well, has really motivated me. She鈥檚 taught me a lot. She鈥檚 gone through a few semesters of playing golf in college and I鈥檝e really been able to learn so much about the college experience. She鈥檚 been huge to my growth.鈥�
During their youth, Joe and Bree often played in tournaments throughout the Midwest, 鈥済etting their feet wet鈥� in competitive golf. Multiple junior tour wins when he was young gave Joe plenty of confidence going into high school.
As a freshman at Lakota East, Joe had to adapt to the differences of high school golf while managing a new workload between school and sports. Thanks to several upperclassmen on the team, the transition was seamless, as Joe put up a top-five finish early in his career while helping the Thunderhawks to a second-place finish at state by the end of the season.
With many stars of the team returning, the Thunderhawks were poised to continue their success over the next couple of years. Prior to his sophomore season, Joe finished second in an American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) event, allowing him to achieve one of his long-time goals of earning full-time status on the tour.聽
Going into the fall, Joe continued to progress, not only leading his team to state once again, but also placing fifth individually at the tournament.
鈥淭hroughout the season, I learned a lot,鈥� Joe said. 鈥淚 kept on playing well, the whole team kept playing well. I think if you talk to the guys on that team, that鈥檚 probably the most talented team we鈥檝e ever had. We were stacked, and going into that postseason we felt really confident.鈥�
However, a third-place team finish would leave a sour taste in their mouths yet again. Motivated going into his junior season, Joe made big changes, losing around 30 pounds and picking up a new swing.聽
Yet, he was only able to play about half of his high school schedule due to conflicts caused by COVID-19, and the Thunderhawks had one of their youngest teams in years. As a result, the season didn鈥檛 go quite as planned despite Lakota East still making it back to state and Joe finishing 18th individually.
鈥淲ith not succeeding came another chance to light a fire under me,鈥� Joe said. 鈥淣ow, you have one more shot to do this, you have one chance to achieve a goal, and that really kind of drove my practice.鈥�
Joe went on to have another terrific summer, even qualifying for the USGA Junior Am. But as fall arrived, the senior鈥檚 lone goal remained the same: win state.
Although the golfer notes his game was a bit stagnant through the middle portion of the year, Joe found his groove as Lakota East entered the postseason. Again, the Thunderhawks made it to state — their sixth consecutive appearance — with Joe poised to do something special.
鈥淚f you just give me a chance at the state title, I knew that I would give it my best shot,鈥� Joe said.
Playing on the Scarlet Course at Ohio State University Golf Club, Joe did just that. Despite a tough first nine, the senior鈥檚 game drastically improved after the turn on day one, leading to an opening-round 69. The score gave Joe a three-shot lead heading into day two, and he remained focused going into the final round.
鈥淚 just turned my phone off,鈥� Joe said. 鈥淎ll I was focused on was visualizing how I was going to walk around that practice facility. You watch videos of Tiger, you can just tell by his walk that he鈥檚 so focused on winning and so determined to do it. I wanted to appear so confident and I did that. I was nervous because it was a goal I鈥檝e been working towards for four years. But I was amped up and I was hitting the ball really far.鈥�
The second round wouldn鈥檛 quite go as well as the first for Joe, beginning the round at three-over through five holes. However, a couple of fantastic wedge shots prior to the back nine got Joe鈥檚 confidence going again. Remaining calm through the final holes, the Lakota East star put himself in position to win.
鈥淲hat I learned from my previous tournaments is that even when I have the lead, I still have to have a chase mentality,鈥� the golfer said. 鈥淚 made some really clutch putts and hit some really clutch golf shots coming down.鈥�
The tournament came down to the last hole, where, ironically, Joe鈥檚 good friend and future college teammate Topher Reed had a chance to earn a share of the state championship. After making a putt on 18, Reed did indeed force a tie, but it doesn鈥檛 diminish the greatness of either golfer鈥檚 two-day totals of 143.
鈥淩eed and I have been buddies for a long time,鈥� Wilson said. 鈥淲e texted each other before the event and just hyped each other up, so that ended up being a cool moment that we were sharing. I just sat there and was astonished at the way God wrote it out to be. You couldn鈥檛 script it any better. Two future teammates battling it out for a state championship and end up sharing it together. It was such a surreal moment. If we鈥檙e going to share this with anyone, there鈥檚 no one else I would rather share it with than my future teammate.鈥�
Both Reed and Joe will be back on the Scarlet Course again soon, hoping to share similar moments of success as they compete for the Ohio State Buckeyes. Ohio State had first seen Joe play when he was in seventh grade, and it was a likely college destination for him throughout the recruiting process. Although another Big Ten powerhouse in Illinois piqued Joe鈥檚 interest, he couldn鈥檛 pass up the opportunity to play for his home-state school.
https://twitter.com/JoeWilsonIV/status/1277788774567686151
鈥淎s the process went on, my secondary school was Illinois,鈥� Joe said. 鈥淏ut what鈥檚 great about Ohio State is that at the time I committed, I knew over half the guys on the team. I know everyone of those guys is one of the greatest guys you鈥檒l ever meet. Not only are they great guys, but they鈥檙e great golfers. I felt like Ohio State was the best place that I could learn to become the best that I can be.鈥�
The future teammates will look to bring a new era of golf at Ohio State, and while national championships are the ultimate goal, for Joe, it begins with taking Illinois down from the top of the conference.
鈥淲e want to be that team to knock them off the board,鈥� Joe added. 鈥淲e want to win a Big Ten championship. We all know what we鈥檙e capable of. I wouldn鈥檛 be surprised in a couple of years if we make a run at a national championship.鈥�
Beyond Ohio State, Joe has always had a goal of becoming a professional golfer. And just as he has in high school and will look to at Ohio State, the senior doesn鈥檛 want to just get there and play well, he wants to win.
鈥淎 lot of guys just talk about how their dreams are to just play on the PGA Tour,鈥� Joe said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 just want to be another guy on the PGA Tour, I want to be one of the top guys in the world and I want to win by a lot.鈥�
No matter where his future golf career goes, Joe will always take the memory of his state title with him. A celebration of his championship put on by Lakota East brought everything full circle for the golf star, and achieving one of his biggest goals with the team he had around him will always be something he cherishes.
What an amazing morning at as we celebrated a Champion! Congratulations Joe Wilson on your 2021 Division 1, Boys Golf State Championship!
— Richard Bryant (@LovelandTigerAD)
鈥淭he guys that I鈥檝e been on the team with these past four years have been so awesome,鈥� Joe said. 鈥淭hey鈥檝e been great golfers and even better guys.
鈥淭he East parade was kind of an emotional day for me. Sitting there in that golf cart, I just looked around and saw the whole student body out there with the confetti bags. It was just so surreal. Something that I thought about and envisioned in my mind for four years, I finally got to do it. That鈥檚 a moment I will cherish forever, we were all able to celebrate those four years together. I hope those younger guys get the opportunity to have that kind of a moment, because that鈥檚 really what high school golf is all about and that鈥檚 what Lakota East golf is all about, the family.鈥�
