Johnny Watts

Photo by: Melissa Dupuis

Photo by: Brian Drumm

Photo by: Ball State University Creative Services

Photo by: Brian Drumm

Photo by: Jeff Harwell

Photo by: Brian Drumm

Photo by: Aric Becker

Class:
Junior
Hometown:
Fishers, Ind.
High School:
Hamilton Southeastern

Career Honors
• Srixon/Cleveland Golf All-America Scholar (2017, 2018)
• NCAA Regional Participant (2015)
• MAC Championships Medalist (2015)
• All-MAC First Team (2015)
• All-MAC Second Team (2016, 2017)
• MAC All-Tournament Team (2015, 2017, 2018)
• MAC Distinguished Scholar Athlete (2018)
• Academic All-MAC (2016, 2017, 2018)
• MAC Golfer of the Week (twice)
• MAC Scholar Athlete of the Week (May 3, 2017)
• Ball State Most Valuable Player (2016, 2017)
• Ball State Most Improved Player (2015, 2016)

Ended his career fourth in school history for career stroke average (74.16) … one of six players in program history to earn All-MAC honors three times ... the third Ball State player to win the MAC individual title, joining Kirk Schooley (1983) and Jamie Broce (1997) … the first BSU player to win it as a freshman ... the first player in program history to record three top-5 finishes at the MAC Championships (finished third in 2017 and 2018) … helped Ball State to consecutive runner-up team finishes at the MAC Championships in 2017 and 2018.

2017-18 (Sr.): MAC All-Tournament Team … played every round as part of the BSU lineup … led Ball State with a 73.71 scoring average … carded nine rounds of par or better, including a career-best 65 in the first round of the EKU Intercollegiate … recorded three top-10 finishes and a pair of top-5’s … finished third at EKU, where he matched his career-best 54-hole total (207) … named MAC Golfer of the Week for that performance … tied for third at the MAC Championships and held the lead during the final round before finishing two shots back … tied for sixth at the Pinehurst Intercollegiate … posted a 2-1-0 record at the Earl Yestingsmeier Match Play at the No. 1 spot in the lineup … managed an overall head-to-head record of 477-298-33.

2016-17 (Jr.): Named to the All-MAC Second Team and MAC All-Tournament Team … a Srixon/Cleveland Golf All-America Scholar and Academic All-MAC selection … selected as the team’s MVP … competed in all 12 events and 33 stroke-play rounds with a scoring average of 72.91 … provided a counting score in 29 of those rounds … his stroke average matched Tyler Merkel’s 2012-13 season for the fourth-best in program history … recorded five top-10 finishes and a pair of top-5’s … his best finish was third at the MAC Championships, where he posted a 72-hole score of 4-under par 284 ... named MAC Scholar Athlete of the Week after that performance … carded nine rounds in the 60’s with his season-best being 68 twice … season-best 54-hole score of 209 (-1) came at the Fighting Irish Gridiron Classic, where he tied for fourth … tied for eighth at the Firestone Invitational at 4 under par … tied for seventh at the Pinehurst Intercollegiate to help BSU to the team title … managed an overall head-to-head record of 572-284-29 … was Ball State’s top finisher four times.

2015-16 (So.): An All-MAC Second Team selection … Academic All-MAC … competed in every event and led the team with a 73.75 scoring average … managed seven top-20 finishes, five top-10’s, three top-5’s and a pair of runner-up results in 12 stroke-play events … was runner-up at the Pinehurst Intercollegiate (March 11-13) and the Earl Yestingsmeier Memorial Invitational (April 15-16), finishing one shot back both times … finished two shots back in third place among a strong field at the Ka’anapali Collegiate Classic (Nov. 6-8), which included six of the nation’s top 40 teams and 10 top-100 players … posted a career-best 54-hole total of 207 (-6) at Ka’anapali, including a season-low 68 in the second round … named MAC Golfer of the Week for his performance at Ka’anapali… carded four rounds in the 60’s and 13 rounds of even par or better … went 3-0-0 at the No. 1 position in the lineup at the Earl Yestingsmeier Match Play (Feb. 8-9), defeating the top players from Notre Dame, Dayton and Xavier … provided a counting score in 32 of his 36 stroke-play rounds … managed four of the team’s top six 54-hole scores of the season, including the top three.

2014-15 (Fr.): Medalist at the MAC Championships at 1-under par (287), finishing as the only player in red figures ... his performance earned him a spot on the All-MAC First Team and MAC All-Tournament Team ... it also earned him a spot in the NCAA Noblesville Regional … became the first non-Kent State golfer to win the MAC Championship since 2008 and the first freshman to win the title since 2005 ... carded a career-best round of 5-under par 67 in the third round of the tournament ... managed a 76.14 stroke average for the year ... one of only two players (McCormick Clouser) to compete in every tournament for Ball State ... tied for 16th at the Firestone Invitational with a score of 220 (-4) for his second-best finish of the year ... tied for 34th at the Wolf Run Intercollegiate and 36th at the Fighting Irish Golf Classic ... went 1-1-0 at the Earl Yestingsmeier Match Play … tied for 46th at the NCAA Noblesville Regional.

HIGH SCHOOL: An all-state selection as a senior in 2014 ... competed in the state finals twice, finishing 18th as a junior and 23rd as a senior ... a four-time All-Hamilton County selection and three-time All-Hoosier Crossroads Conference choice ... helped Hamilton Southeastern to a third-place state finish as a team his senior year ... the Royals won a regional championship his junior year ... was the Indiana Masters Tour Champion and the Indiana Junior Player of the Year in 2012 ... won the Indiana Golf Association Age Group Championship and finished 10th at the Indiana Amateur Championship in 2013.