Daniel Connolly – SMU Golf
“I took up the game of golf at a young age and it has been my passion ever since. My earliest memories are filled with time spent on the golf course with friends and family. I fell in love with the game and started competing the year after I first picked up a club. Competitive golf has shaped me into who I am today and continues to challenge me in ways that aid in my development as an athlete and as a person.”
“My time as a collegiate golfer has perhaps been the most transformative period of my life thus far. I came into SMU in 2016 following a fairly successful high school/junior career. As a freshman, I was in the starting lineup for each event and had one of the better scoring averages on the team. I played well in the tournaments I competed in that summer and felt as if I was gradually improving and getting closer to fulfilling my life-long dream of playing at the highest level. Playing in the #1 spot at the beginning of my sophomore season, I had high expectations for myself and was hoping for a break-through year. Unfortunately, I struggled throughout my sophomore campaign and my confidence began to erode. I hit a low point the following year when I did not make the starting lineup throughout my junior season. Looking back on it, those times of struggle taught me invaluable lessons and showed me how fortunate I am to be surrounded by great people who have my best interests at heart. It allowed me to put the game in perspective and realize that it is what I do but not who I am.”
“After over a year of not starting, I was able to get back into the starting lineup at the beginning of this spring season. Seeing as things were starting to come together and we had a team with the potential to do something special, I was heartbroken when I heard that our season would be cut short.” “I was so looking forward to having one last chance to make a run at the post season with a group of guys that are like brothers to me. Although my time as a college athlete may be over, the bonds created over the past 4 years will last forever. We’re all in this together and we’ve all stayed optimistic through it all. The best is yet to come! We may not be able to do what we love at the moment, but we will always have each other and years of fond memories.”
