Lyndon State College student Brian Hopkins has been at it for a long time.
“When I was 10, a buddy of mine got his son and I into the junior program at St. Johnsbury Country Club. It all kind of started there, and I spent my summers there, improving my game up until now,” Hopkins said.
A former three-sport athlete in high school, Hopkins struggled to find time for golf. However, at the age of 15, Hopkins realized that golf was his best sport. It was then that he started to play as an amateur golfer in the state of Vermont.
Still, it was the time that Hopkins spent with his friends that proved the most valuable of all.
“I spent a lot time just playing with friends. Even though I was fooling around, I was still working on my game,” Hopkins said.
Whether it is fooling around, or focusing on a game, Hopkins brings the same approach to golf as he does to life.
“I’m a pretty patient person off the golf course, but it has also helped me on the golf course,” Hopkins said.
It is that patience that has allowed Hopkins to become the number four amateur golfer in the state of Vermont.
However, Hopkins strives for even better than that.
“Honestly, it’s a little disappointing. I know that there’s room in my game to get that much better, and hopefully I can be number one next year,” Hopkins said.
Hopkins recently played in a tri-state match, representing the state of Vermont against other amateur golfers from New Hampshire and Maine. There was a total of fourteen golfers in the match, according to Hopkins.
Players in the tri-state match were ranked based on ability, and Hopkins was ranked number one on the team. He was able to defeat the number-one golfer for the team of Maine. Unfortunately, however, Hopkins lost to the number-one golfer for the state of New Hampshire.
Regardless, representing the state of Vermont was very enjoyable for Hopkins.
“Just to put my name with Vermont, now that’s an honor in its own regard,” Hopkins said.
Hopkins must also deal with other priorities, such as being a student and an employee at Country Club of Vermont.
Yet he believes that it is all possible if he keeps his goals clear.
“You got to get your priorities right and know what you want to get out of it,” Hopkins said.
The ultimate goal for Hopkins is to advance his golf career as far as he can.
“It takes time, but if you have the right mindset and the right confidence, you can take it as far as you want,” Hopkins said.