2017-18 Men's Golf Roster
John Souza
- Height:
- 6-2
- Weight:
- 165
- Class:
- Senior
- Hometown:
- Phoenix, Ariz.
- High School:
- Thunderbird/South Mountain CC
College—2017-18: He played in all 12 of CU’s major tournaments (37 rounds), finishing fifth in stroke average with a 72.81 norm; his career average of 73.45 for 95 rounds was the fifth-best in school history (75 or more rounds). He had 33 of those rounds count toward team scoring (89.2 percent, tied for third) and 17 rounds of par or better (12 subpar). His seven eagles on the year were a team best, with his birdies (116) and pars (395) both the third-most on the team while his 71.69 average for middle rounds was also third. He had three top 20 finishes, two in the spring: a tie for 12th in Wyoming’s Desert Intercollegiate (70-69-72—211, -5) and a tie for 16th in the Pac-12 Championships (70-70-68-73—281, -3); the latter was the third best by a Buff and helped CU to a runner-up finish. He enjoyed his best fall season as a Buffalo, with his 72.25 stroke average fourth-best on the team and all 12 of his rounds counting toward the team score. His top finish was a tie for 11th in New Mexico’s Tucker Invitational (71-76-72—219, +3), which also tied for the seventh-best individual finish by a Buff in the last 30 years of the event. He closed the fall with two subpar efforts, tying for 24th in CU’s Mark Simpson Invitational (215, -1) and tying for 46th in Hawai’i’s Princeville Intercollegiate (214, -2). He had just three holes (all doubles) worse than bogey out of the 216 in the fall.
2016-17 (Jr.): He played in 12 of CU’s 13 tournaments, finishing fourth on the team in stroke average with a 73.71 figure; he competed in six rounds as an individual and 28 as a designated scorer for the team, with 22 of those counting (78.6 percent). He had five top 20 finishes, tied for third on the squad, with his best effort in UCLA’s Gifford Collegiate, where he tied for sixth in the stroke play portion (71-67—138), the second round score his best of the fall; he went on to go 1-1-1 in the match play competition. He tied for 14th in The Maxwell, where he closed with his collegiate-best gross score of 66 (4-under) and 215 overall (+5); he tied for 17th in Wyoming’s Desert Intercollegiate (216, E), matching his fall best with a 67 in the second round. In the Pac-12 Championships in Boulder, he tied for 31st with a 220 (+10) effort; his final round 70 tied for the 13th-best score to close the meet. In the NCAA Central Regional at Purdue, he tied for 63rd (233, +17); after opening with a 75-85, he wrapped the season with a 1-over 73. He played in five of CU’s six fall events, recording a 73.62 stroke average (seventh-best on the team); he finished in the top 20 three times, including the UCLA meet. He tied for 19th in two fall meets, both of which he competed individually: Air Force’s Miranda Invitational (222, +6) and CU’s own Mark Simpson Invitational (213, -2). For the season, his average improved progressively from round to round, as he averaged 74.3 for first rounds, 73.6 for middle rounds and 72.7 for final rounds.
2015-16 (Soph.): After limited in the fall and into the winter with a back injury (stress fracture), once healthy he played well in his first season in the NCAA; he owned a 74.08 stroke average, fourth-best on the team, with the number even better (73.76) for 21 rounds in the spring. He played in all seven spring meets after appearing in just two in the fall, with 15 of his 19 rounds when he was a scorer counting toward the Buff team total. His second round 66 at the Wyoming Cowboy Classic was the second lowest gross score this season by a Buff, but tied for top in stroke count related to par (6-under). He owned a 75.2 par/subpar hole percentage (325 of 432), with eight of his 24 rounds in the same category. His top two individual finishes came in his native Arizona in the two meets that Wyoming hosted in the state: a 13th-place tie in the Cowboy Classic (213, -3) and a 14th-place tie in the Desert Intercollegiate (219, +3). He recorded a solid performance in Stanford’s Goodwin (74-70-69—213, +3), tying for 25th; his final round 69 was CU’s best on the day and one just 18 in the field of 138. Playing as the No. 4 man for the Buffaloes at the Pac-12 Championships, he tied for 36h (76-70-74-75—295), overcoming some back issues in the final two rounds. He struggled with an opening round 80 at the NCAA Southeast (Tuscaloosa) Regional, but settled down to finish up 75-73 to place 53rd (228, +12). He suffered a back injury in the second week of the season that kept him out for a while; he had shot a final round 72 in the Ballyneal Challenge for his best round of the fall in the opening meet, but he had to withdraw from the first two rounds of the Air Force Invitational with the injury (he gave it a go in the final round and managed a 5-over 77). He was the final signee of the five-member 2015-16 recruiting class as he was coming off a tremendous year in junior college competition.
At South Mountain (2014-15, Fr.)—He earned first-team NJCAA Division II All-American honors, and was awarded the coveted Phil Mickelson Outstanding Freshman Award presented by the Phil and Amy Mickelson Foundation. He claimed medalist honors three times in 2014-15, winning the Firestorm JC Invitational (69-70—139), the Glendale CC Invitational (67-70—137) and the Chandler-Gilbert CC Invitational (69-66—135). Overall, he had seven top 10 finishes, including fourth in the Division II Region 1 Championship, and only finished outside the top 10 three times. GolfStat had him ranked him as the No. 1 golfer for the bulk of the year in the Division II and III levels combined (he eventually finished 29th, the 12th freshman). At one point, he was 42nd in the GolfStat Cup, a composite ranking of all collegiate golfers in all divisions, NCAA, NAIA and junior college; he still finished 229th (CU sophomore Jeremy Paul was 219th). His stroke average this season was an impressive 70.8 and he was 38-27 individually against the nation’s top 100 players. Under Andy Walker, the national coach of the year, South Mountain claimed the NJCAA Division II title in a 15-stroke rout; Souza tied for 38th in that event (294, +6) in the 119-man field.
High School— He lettered four times in golf, and as a team captain his junior and senior years, he led Thunderbird to back-to-back Division II state championships. Individually, he tied for second as a junior (72-70—142) and placed fourth as a senior (72-73—145), earning first-team All-State honors both years. The state’s Division II player of the year as a junior (2012), he had one career tournament win (as a senior in the Fall Preview) and won 10 dual matches in his career. He owned a stroke average of 72.2 his senior year (and 73 as a junior).
Other—2018: He tied for ninth in the Saguaro Amateur (72-70-69—211, -5) at Southern Dunes Golf Club (Maricopa, Ariz.). 2017: He finished second in the U.S. Amateur qualifier at Moon Valley (Ariz.) Country Club with a 67-68—135 (9-under) effort to advance to the main event (where he shot 77-77—154; he did not advance into match play). He was the second low amateur in the Colorado Open, tying for 39th overall at 8-under par (71-68-72-69—280). He tied for 11th in the Saguaro Amateur, turning in a 70-71-72—213 (-3) scorecard on the Ak-Chin Southern Dunes Golf Course (Maricopa, Ariz.). 2016: In November, he won the inaugural Gobbler Amateur in Tucson, Ariz., by one stroke with a 75-67-72—214 (+1) effort at Sewailo Golf Club. He tied for eighth in the Colorado Golf Association Amateur, turning in a 73-74-70-71—288 (+8) at Boulder Country Club. He tied for 46th in the Colorado Open, but was the fifth low amateur, with a 69-67-74-73—283 (-5) effort. He was tied for 32nd in the Saguaro Amateur (Southern Dunes GC, Maricopa, Ariz.) after a 78-71—149 start, the 71 being one of the best second round scores, but he had to withdraw due to a back injury. 2015: He shot a 74-70—144 to qualify for the PNGA (Pacific Northwest Golf Association) Match Play Championships (lost 2 and 1 in the first round). He shot a 2-under 70 in U.S. Open Qualifying in mid-May, tying for eighth in the field but missed advancing to sectionals by one stroke. Tied for 40th in the Southwestern Amateur (291, +11). At the end of the year, he tied for 30th in the Patriot All-America Invitational (Litchfield Park, Ariz.), carding a 73-83-68—224 (+11; his final round 68 tied for the low score in the final round and the second lowest in the event). 2014: He tied for second in the 2014 Tempe Amateur (65-69—134, -10). 2013: He qualified and competed in the U.S. Junior Amateur in Martis Camp Golf Club (Truckee, Calif.).
Best Career Round In Competition— 65 (-7, Tempe Amateur, January 25, 2014)
Academics—He majored in Economics at Colorado, with a minor in Communication, and graduated in May 2018. As a senior, he was selected as the Pac-12 Conference Men’s Golf Scholar Athlete of the Year. As a junior, he was named to the Srixon/Cleveland Golf All-America Scholar team, while also earning honorable mention Pac-12 All-Academic team honors as a junior and was a member of the National Honor Society in high school.
Personal— He was born July 31, 1996 in Phoenix, Ariz. His hobbies include playing ping pong, Ultimate Frisbee and attending most sporting events. His father (John) played golf at Grand Canyon University.
| Overall | |||||
| Season (SA/Rk) | Rd | Strokes | Avg. | Lo | Hi |
| 2015-16 (4) | 24 | 1778 | 74.08 | 66 | 80 |
| 2016-17 (4) | 34 | 2506 | 73.71 | 66 | 85 |
| 2017-18 (5) | 37 | 2694 | 72.81 | 68 | 82 |
| Totals | 95 | 6978 | 73.45 | 66 | 85 |
| Spring | ||
| Rd | Strk | Avg. |
| 21 | 1549 | 73.76 |
| 21 | 1549 | 73.76 |
| 25 | 1827 | 73.08 |
| 67 | 4925 | 73.51 |
| Fall | ||
| Rd | Strk | Avg. |
| 3 | 229 | 76.33 |
| 13 | 957 | 73.62 |
| 12 | 867 | 72.25 |
| 28 | 2053 | 73.32 |
| Season | Rounds | Holes | SCIRP |
| 2015-16 | 24 | 432 | +66 |
| 2016-17 | 34 | 612 | +78 |
| 2017-18 | 37 | 666 | +40 |
| Totals | 95 | 1710 | +184 |
| Eagles | Birdies | Pars | Bogeys |
| 2 | 60 | 263 | 87 |
| 1 | 93 | 370 | 128 |
| 7 | 116 | 395 | 127 |
| 10 | 269 | 1028 | 342 |
| Season | Doubles | Triples | Other |
| 2015-16 | 18 | 1 | 1 |
| 2016-17 | 15 | 5 | 0 |
| 2017-18 | 20 | 1 | 0 |
| Totals | 53 | 7 | 1 |
| Subpar | Par/SP | Jumbo | |
| Pct. | Pct. | Pts. | Pct. |
| 14.4 | 75.2 | 23 | 0.990 |
| 15.4 | 75.8 | 25 | 0.735 |
| 18.5 | 77.8 | 22 | 0.595 |
| 16.3 | 76.4 | 70 | 0.737 |
Rounds Toward Team Scoring: 70 of 84 (83.3%; 11 played as an individual).
Stroke Count In Relation To Par (+184/+1.94): +66/+2.75 (2015-16); +78/+2.29 (2016-17); +40/+1.08 (2017-18).
Finishes—Wins: 0 Top 5: 0 Top 10: 1 Top 20: 10
| Fall 2015 | |||
| *Ballyneal Challenge | 80-72 -- 152 | +10 | 21st |
| AFA Miranda Invitational | WD-WD-77 -- x | + 5 | 86th |
Spring 2016 |
|||
| UHH Amer Ari Invitational | 78-77-72 -- 227 | +11 | t97th |
| *Wyoming Desert Intercollegiate | 76-71-72 -- 219 | + 3 | t14th |
| Stanford’s “The Goodwin” | 74-70-69 -- 213 | + 3 | t25th |
| Wyoming Cowboy Classic | 75-66-72 -- 213 | - 3 | t13th |
| The Maxwell | 77-77 -- 154 | +14 | t67th |
| Pac-12 Championships | 76-70-74-75 -- 295 | +11 | t36th |
| NCAA Southeast Regional | 80-75-73 -- 228 | +12 | 53rd |
Fall 2016 |
|||
| Ballyneal Challenge | 74-73 -- 147 | + 5 | 21st |
| *AFA Miranda Invitational | 74-70-78 -- 222 | + 6 | t19th |
| UNM Tucker Invitational | 80-76-80 --236 | +20 | t79th |
| *CU-Mark Simpson Invitational | 70-69-75 -- 214 | - 2 | t19th |
| UCLA Gifford Collegiate (1-1-1) | 71-67 -- 138 | - 6 | t6th |
Spring 2017 |
|||
| UHH Amer Ari Invitational | 73-75-69 -- 217 | +1 | t56th |
| Wyoming Desert Intercollegiate | 75-67-74 -- 216 | E | t17th |
| Bandon Dunes Championship | 76-73-73 -- 222 | +6 | t46th |
| Stanford's "The Goodwin" | 78-74-74 -- 226 | +16 | t80th |
| The Maxwell | 75-74-66 -- 215 | +5 | t14th |
| Pac-12 Championships | 75-75-70 -- 220 | +10 | t31st |
| NCAA Central Regional | 75-85-73 -- 233 | +17 | t63rd |
Fall 2017 |
|||
| AFA Miranda Invitational | 74-73-72 -- 219 | +3 | t46th |
| UNM Tucker Invitational | 71-76-72 -- 219 | +3 | t11th |
| CU-Mark Simpson Invitational | 72-71-72 -- 215 | -1 | t24th |
| Hawai'i Princeville Intercollegiate | 73-68-73 -- 214 | -2 | t46th |
Spring 2018 |
|||
| UHH Amer Ari Invitational | 74-71-77 -- 222 | +6 | t46th |
| Wyoming Desert Intercollegiate | 70-69-72 -- 211 | - 5 | t12th |
| Lamkin San Diego Classic | 70-70-82 -- 222 | +6 | t51st |
| KSU Bighorn Invitational Stanford's "The Goodwin" |
74-75-71 -- 220 77-74-74 -- 225 |
+4 +12 |
t39th t101st |
| ASU Thunderbird Invitational | 75-73-72 -- 220 | +7 | t52nd |
| Pac-12 Championships | 70-70--68-73 -- 281 | - 3 | t16th |
| NCAA West Regional | 75-74-77 -- 226 | +10 | t67th |
(*-competed individually.)
