JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – His parents put a plastic golf club in his hands when he was a toddler and Tyler Mawhinney never looked back.
The Fleming Island sophomore and All-News4JAX boys golfer of the year is the state’s best high school golfer, an individual state champion, Florida’s Mr. Golf and the headliner on the team champ Golden Eagles. Mawhinney‘s potential is undeniable, even beyond the high school realm. He’s a force on the AJGA Tour and only getting better.
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And it started early, with Mawhinney ripping shots with his plastic golf club all over his parents house.
“They told me that I would keep kind of swinging, even when I had blisters on my hands from swinging so much. So, I think I liked it,” Mawhinney said. “I mean, I don’t know how much a 2-year-old can enjoy something, but it seemed to be a pretty big thing in my life at that age.”
Mawhinney had an excellent 2023 on the junior circuit and kept that rolling in his high school season. Sandwiched between his season-opening junior win at last May’s five-stoke win at the Scott Robertson Memorial at Roanoke Country Club and season-ending one-shot win at the Rolex Tournament of Champions, Mawhinney led Fleming Island to the first team state title by a Clay County school.
“Definitely something I appreciate more as I get older. Now, it’s just kind of like another thing, but 50 years from now, I’ll always be a state champion,” Mawhinney said.
“That will always be something that I can say I won. It’s just kind of like a thing that everybody knows about. Not everybody knows about AJGA but everybody knows about a state championship. So, I think it’ll be something that you tell people about and they’ll understand what that is.”
Cool and calm on the course, Mawhinney loathes losing and hates bad shots. Instead of letting those things distract him, Fleming Island coach Bruce Cloud said that Mawhinney uses those as lessons to get better.
Cloud points to Fleming Island’s third-place finish in the regional meet as an example of Mawhinney taking a disappointing situation and flipping it into something good.
“He’s a great kid who’s not afraid to help others get better. He’s a true team player and a good-natured guy. He attacks the course when he plays and as with most of his caliber he doesn’t like losing,” Cloud said. “But he’s always ready to work hard to get better next time. He took the regional loss to heart and basically willed the team to the win at state.”
Mawhinney was laser-focused in the Class 3A state tournament. He had his first hole-in-one on the 15th hole en route to an opening round 4-under 68 that staked Fleming Island to an eight-stroke lead. The Golden Eagles pulled away from there and beat Lakewood Ranch by a comfortable 23 strokes for the first team title by a Clay County program. Mawhinney won the individual crown with a 4-under 140.
“Exciting moment and feeling. You know, we’ve really been trying to do it for a long time and we came up a little short last year,” Mawhinney said. “Definitely nice to get the job done this year.”
All-News4JAX boys golf First team
Golfer, school, class
Luke Balaskiewicz, Bolles, Jr.
T-5 in Class 2A state meet with 3-over 147. Region champ with a 6-under 66 and district champ at 1-over 73.
Camden Goldknopf, Episcopal, Sr.
T-5 in Class 2A state meet with 3-over 147. District runner-up (2-over 74). Fourth at region (1-over 73).
Nolan Harper, Beachside, Sr.
T-3 in Class 2A state tournament with 2-over 146 to lead state runner-up Barracudas. Third in district tournament with a 1-under 71. Second team All-News4JAX selection last year.
Tyler Mawhinney, Fleming Island, So.
The state’s Mr. Golf winner and the All-News4JAX golfer of the year with 4-under 140 in Class 3A state tournament. T-2 at region with 2-under 70. District champ with 8-under 64. Two-time All-News4JAX selection.
Cameron Reed, Ponte Vedra, Jr.
T-6 in Class 2A state tournament with 6-over 150. District champ at 1-over 73. Third at region with 1-over 73.
Second team
Golfer, school, class
Samuel Ha, Beachside, Fr.
Region runner-up with even-par 72. Medalist honors in leading team to district title (3-under 69). Struggled at state (18-over 162).
Bryson Hughes, Creekside, Jr.
T-10 at Class 3A state meet with 3-over 147. Region champ with 3-under 69. Carded 4-over 76 to finish T-6 at district.
Henry Robards, Episcopal, Sr.
Carded 9-over 153 for T-23 at Class 1A state meet. Region runner-up (2-under 70). T-3 at district with 5-over 77.
Luke Splane, St. Augustine, So.
District runner-up with 1-under 71. Finished 12th at state (8-over 152). T-5 at region (3-over 75).
Connor Williams, Columbia, Sr.
Co-medalist at district with 2-under 70. Region champ at 2-under 70. Finished T-20 at Class 2A state meet with 12-over 156.
Honorable mention
Golfer, school, class
Jaylen Abbas, Fleming Island, Sr.
Aubrey Fellows, Episcopal, Fr.
Cooper Franklin, Ponte Vedra, So.
Sean Grzebin, Ponte Vedra, Jr.
Joey Hage, Ponte Vedra, So.
Connor Hess, Episcopal, Sr.
Charlie Hipp, Creekside, Fr.
Jaspreet Kondal, Beachside, Fr.
Emmet Kuhlenkamp, Fleming Island, Jr.
Dylan Mason, Ponte Vedra, Sr.
Chase McBride, Nease, Jr.
Jonah Nacional, Beachside, So.
Ryan Nicholson, Nease, Sr.
Evan Raynor, Bishop Kenny, Jr.
Jackson Runquist, Fletcher, So.
Ethan Tak, Nease, Jr.
Dawson Wooley, Suwannee, Fr.