Ole’ Miss bound

It has been a tremendous run for Pine Prairie native Julia Johnson.
The upcoming college freshman (technically a sophomore) has enjoyed a tremendous last three years on the golf course, playing in some of the most prestigious tournaments throughout the country.
And now, Johnson will be taking her talents on the road to Oxford, Mississippi this coming fall to play for the Ole Miss Rebels, a town and school she fell in love instantly.
“Originally, I had committed to LSU,” stated Johnson. “But, I came here (Oxford) for an LSU/Ole Miss football game with some friends who were going to play for Ole Miss. When I got here, I just fell in love with the campus and the atmosphere,”
“And when I saw how much of a part of the family they treated them, it just made me want to be here even more,” she continued. “To me this is the best college town atmosphere,” she continued. “It is truly the most beautiful campus I have been on.”
Although Johnson is a freshman to the campus life, she is considered to be a sophomore in terms of the number of hours she has under her belt.
During the last three years Johnson has been taking LSU duel enrollment classes through MSA East Academy. She currently has 36 college hours under her belt.
“I wanted to be able to work on my golf game as much as possible,” said Johnson. “With me taking classes online, I was able to get out on the course by 12:30 or 1 every afternoon. So, technically, I am entering as a sophomore.”
This past summer, Johnson played in some Amateur Junior Golf Association Tournaments and a few major tournaments, including the prestigious North/South Amateur Championships at Pinehurst Golf Resort in Pinehurst, North Carolina.
In that tournament, Johson shot 74, 75, 67 over the course of three days to take third place out of 84 total players.
Johnson then took a break from the everyday life of a top-notch golfer and decided to relax on a river cruise trip throughout the Mediterranean countries, arriving in places like Rome, Barcelona, Sicily and Monte Carlo to name a few.
“I figured it was a huge opportunity for me to see those places,” commented Johnson. “I missed some golf because of the trip, but it was well worth it.”
Now that she is back on U.S. soil, things will ramp up fast for Johnson. She will report to Ole Miss this week and begin qualifying for the fall golf season. On the line if she can sneak in the top five of nine golfers are trips to South Carolina, North Carolina and Hawaii for tournaments.
“I am really ready to help bring this program to the next level,” stated Johnson. “We have a brand new A.D. and new golf coaches and the environment to play golf at Ole Miss is on the rise. It will be even better to help build the program with friends.”
Don’t get it twisted, even though Johnson is there to perform for the University, she is also there to get an education.
“I want to double major in Economics and Finance,” said Johnson. “I am even thinking about getting my MBA. I know it will not be easy, but I am focused on getting that education and moving forward.”
With the determination that she has shown since she was just a young lady, Johnson is definitely on her way to making it big in the world.