Under The Radar

September 09, 2013

As part of the SCGA's membership season, we are checking in with SCGA Members and Member Clubs and learning what they find most valuable about their SCGA Membership. Below, we got to know Johnny MacArthur, an SCGA Tournament competitor and recent Pepperdine University graduate.

Johnny MacArthur is a pretty casual guy. “You gotta be you,” he said recently. “Johnny Mac has to go on the course and be Johnny Mac.”

MacArthur, who is currently 23 years old, has always been an all-around athlete. Playing three different sports during high school, MacArthur decided to focus his attention solely on golf as he headed into college and eventually ended up playing for Pepperdine University. Having just recently graduated, he looks back on his collegiate career fondly, a highlight being his sophomore year when his Waves team was ranked No. 25 in the nation.

“University of Arizona hosted the Regional Championship at Tucson National Golf Resort that year, and I was able to play the final round with my good buddy [Max Homa],” MacArthur remembers. “We [Pepperdine] qualified for the National Championship by one stroke, which is still Pepperdine’s last appearance at the NCAA Championship. The entire process was a great and unforgettable memory.”

MacArthur has already had a successful year in the amateur golf world, with a couple nice performances at SCGA tournaments. He qualified for the 114th SCGA Amateur Championship in July, where he finished T-11. The strong run earned him a spot in the SCGA Match Play Championship as the No. 11 seed, where MacArthur made an impressive run and advanced all the way to the semifinals before losing to high school star Sean Crocker.

MacArthur is now working hard on his golf game, as he prepares to try and earn a spot on the Web.com Tour through qualifying tournaments this fall. His quest to become a professional golfer will begin the second week of September.

Get to Know Johnny MacArthur

Home Club:

Member at Valencia CC for 12 years

How often do you play the course?

Five days a week

What do you like about it?

It is a tree line setup. I enjoy working the ball with the tree line.

Who do you play with?

There are a good group of members out there, roughly 8-10 guys I would play with on a regular basis, and also my good buddy [and fellow SCGA member] Max Homa.

When did you start playing golf?

I wasnine years old when I started but at that time I played every sport. In high school while playing three sports I realized college golf would be cool.

What’s in your bag?

TaylorMade everything

Any superstitions?

My number in high school was 25, so now I always mark my golf balls with two 25s with a black Sharpie.

Degree:

Bachelor’s Degree in Economics

You recently competed in the SCGA Match Play Championship. What do you like about the match play format?

I thoroughly enjoying playing in match play competition because to me it feels like a team sport. You have to beat your opponent or you’re not moving on and to me that provides extra motivation. If I don’t make a bogey, I’m probably going to win that hole.

You recently caddied at a web.com tour event for Max Homa. What was that experience like?

It was a great experience. Those guys are studs. I enjoyed seeing how a professional event runs and what it takes to prepare for an event like that. While caddying I learned that you can play golf a million different ways.

What’s your dream foursome? And let’s throw dream course on there as well.

A dream would be to play Carnoustie in Ireland with Tom Watson, Tiger Woods and Jason Dufner.



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