Sports Spotlight - Windermere Observer: J.P. Miller

Olympia junior J.P. Miller shot an even-par 71 at West Orange Country Club Oct. 5 to lead the Titans to the Metro Conference West Championship. At the Class 3A, District 7 tournament Oct. 10, Miller shot a 73 to finish tied for second. Most recently, the junior was the only Titan to advance out of the Class 3A, Region 3 tournament by tying for first place, shooting an even-par 72.

You played very well at Metros to beat some stiff competition. Were you surprised to win?

I wouldn’t say I was surprised, but the way I’ve been playing lately didn’t really show that I could have won. I was hoping to post the best score that I could for my team to advance — that was very important to me.

What about your game have you been working on?

I would say, for the most part, I’ve been working on my short game — chipping and putting. But, my struggles lately have been with my long game, which is surprising (because) I came off such a hot summer.

In which tours do you participate this summer?

I play on Florida Junior Tour, which is usually pretty popular, and I usually try to get in some Hurricane (Junior Golf Tour) events and maybe some other events. I went to a tournament in North Carolina, called the U.S. Kids Golf Teen World Championships, where we played Pinehurst No. 2 the final day.

What is your mentality toward the varsity golf season? Is it something you take more or less seriously than the junior tours?

I wouldn’t say I treat varsity golf much differently, because golf to me is very important, and not to take it seriously is not acceptable to me. My main goal is to play well so my team can play well.

What’s it like during the varsity season when you are playing on a team?

It’s different, for sure. When you’re playing on a team, you need others to do well for the team to succeed — but you need to do your part, first.

You see the same team multiple times during the final weeks of the season at Metros, district and regionals. Do you have any friends on those teams?

I know (West Orange High’s) Grant Drogosch — he’s a pretty cool kid and a very good golfer. 

Is there anything you’ve learned about in school this year that has really caught your attention?

Honestly, I’m really enjoying physics and marketing. That kind of surprised me, because I’ve never experienced them before.

What are you hoping to study in college?

For a major, I want to go for business, because I’m good at math.