West Orange High School sophomore returns from the U.S. Junior Amateur golf tournament

West Orange High School sophomore Shawn Coultoff, 16, participated in the 2022 U.S. Junior Amateur golf tournament between July 25 to 30 at the Bandon Dunes Golf Resort in Bandon, Oregon. 

To qualify, Coultoff participated in a qualifying competition at The Club at Eaglebrooke in Lakeland earlier this year — which he won by shooting a bogey-free 66. 

During the U.S. Junior Amateur tournament, he finished 114 out of 264. 

“I had a stumble on three holes early in the tournament, but I bounced my way back,” he said. “It was very tough competition. It was the best tournament I’ve ever played at.” 

The tournament featured a lot of talent, as several of the golfers who participated already are high school graduates and soon-to-be college freshmen. Coultoff currently is ranked No. 20 in the United States for the Class of 2025, No. 22 internationally and No. 2 in the state of Florida under the same ranking system. 

“I’m proud of that,” he said.

During the Fourth of July weekend, Coultoff participated in the FSGA Junior Amateur championship for the fourth time. He won — by seven strokes — after shooting 12 under par for three rounds.

“It felt good, because I came in second last year, so I wanted to win this year,” he said. 

When selecting tournaments, Coultoff’s father, former professional golfer Eric Coultoff, helps determine the year’s schedule. 

“It’s important that people understand, because you play so many tournaments in a year, that as you get older, you play fewer,” Eric Coultoff said. “Last year, he played 31 (tournaments). This year, he played 25, because you start to get into more elite tournaments.”

Another tournament Shawn Coultoff participated at earlier this year — and won — was the Men’s Club Championship at the West Orange Country Club. 

“He walks around the club, and people know he’s the champion,” his dad said. “He has a parking spot with his name on it and everything, but he doesn’t have a car, so he doesn’t get to use it.”

While on the golf course, Shawn Coultoff said some of the hardships he has faced through his career are the mental aspect of the sport and growing. 

“If you have a rough day, (you have to turn) it back for the next day,” he said. “Also, when I grow, the weight fluctuates in my body a little bit, and that affects the whole thing.” 

SUPPORT SYSTEM

Shawn Coultoff has been playing golf since he was around 5 years old. 

“I started because of my dad,” he said. “So, he brought me to the course when I was little, and put (golf) on the TV, so I just played off of that.” 

As a golfer, Shawn Coultoff has found a way to put together his own training and support team. 

He has been training golf under Chris Couch, a current PGA golfer and former tour winner, for almost six years. Regarding the physical aspect of the sport, Shawn Coultoff trains under Dave Herman. He also works with sports psychologist Dr. Robert Winters. 

As a support system, Shawn Coultoff relies on both his parents, Eric and Lisa Coultoff, and sister, Mackenzie Coultoff. 

Shawn Coultoff’s training schedule changes depending on the season. During the school year, he practices about four to five hours per week. The remainder of the time he incorporates school work, performing with percussion as part of the West Orange High School marching band and playing on the school’s tennis team. 

However, during the summer months, Shawn Coultoff is able to practice golf more. He’s on the golf course on Saturdays and spends four to five hours between the golf course and the driving range. 

“Unless I have something completely wrong in my swing that I need to change … mostly it’s maintenance — making sure it’s the right movement,” he said. “If I’m struggling with something on the course that day, I’ll work on that whether it’s distances or assertiveness, patterns and also what my dad notices sometimes.” 

Shawn Coultoff and his dad are already planning next year’s schedule, which likely will include about 20 tournaments.