Johnnie golf closes out the 2026 spring season

The St. John’s University golf team is nearing the end of its regular season schedule and are closing out the season strong, including a second-place finish at the SJU Spring Invitational this past weekend. 

“The first day, we didn’t play great,” sophomore Gavin Grahek said. “That second day, however, there was a lot of positives and, overall, we were pretty happy with the way we played.” 

Junior Nate Appelhof echoed what Grahek said.

“We played well and good enough to give ourselves an opportunity to win,” Appelhof said. 

As a team, the Johnnies shot +5, second only to 20th ranked Gustavus, who posted a +2. 

First-year Austin Roloff led the charge on day two, shooting two-under-par to jump 17 spots on the leaderboard and finish at one-over-par, tying for 10th place with Appelhof. Grahek tied for 13th at +2. 

“We had some solid rounds across the board that kept us in it all weekend,” Roloff said via email. “Everyone stayed steady, and it was a grind, but we kept fighting and put ourselves in a good spot to finish second.” 

As the season has progressed, improvement has become a common theme across the roster, particularly on the mental side of the game. 

“I definitely feel like a different golfer after having a season under my belt,” Roloff said. “I’ve learned a ton especially mentally, just staying positive, not showing negative emotions and being patient out there.” 

Appelhof also noted how his mental game has strengthened. 

“My mental game has improved here, and I’ve learned how to be tough on the course and play in tough conditions,” Appelhof said. “I’ve learned the ability to play for my teammates and embrace every part.” 

For Grahek, improvement has come both physically and strategically.  

“In the winter, we do mandatory team lifts, and that’s something that I had never done before,” Grahek said. “The longer you hit your drive, the better you’re going to score. It’s pretty simple.” 

Grahek also noted a shift in his approach on the course. 

“I’ve analyzed my shots a little more and have learned to play a smarter and more conservative game,” Grahek said. 

A major strength of the team this season has been their ability to connect well with each other and form a strong team-chemistry. 

“Our spring break trip did a great job of bringing the guys together, as well as our team workouts over the winter,” Appelhof said. 

Grahek agreed that the team has gelled well together.  

“We have a team that is really supportive, and everyone’s got each other’s backs.” Grahek said. “We just really want to win together, and I think that’s pretty apparent.” 

Roloff said the strong team bond has made the transition from high school golf to college golf easy.

“It’s been a really good experience so far. The team has made it easy to adjust, and it’s been fun competing with and learning from the juniors and seniors,” Roloff. “There’s definitely been an adjustment with the level of competition and balancing everything, but I feel like I’ve settled in well.” 

With the season winding down, the Johnnies also reflected on some of their memorable moments.  

“Spring break was great. We played a bunch of great courses with some great alumni, and it was a great time,” Appelhof said. “Also, this past weekend, I was happy with how we played, and we finished relatively strong coming in on the last couple holes.” 

Grahek pointed to both team and individual highlights, including his win at the UW-Eau Claire Invitational in the fall.  

“I had a really good fall with the win in Eau Claire, which was super cool,” Grahek said. “I also played pretty well in Pennsylvania, our last tournament of the fall, and we were able to play some tough competition which is always fun.” 

Grahek shot one-under-par at Eau Claire to claim the title and later tied for seventh out of 87 golfers in Pennsylvania at +5. 

“If you would have told me that at the beginning of the year I would have a win, I would have taken that for sure,” Grahek said. 

As the season nears its end, the Johnnies are hoping to push their late-season momentum into future success. 

“One thing that I’ve been working on is just building on each tournament, each rep and getting ready for future events, as well as carrying all that hard work into the fall,” Appelhof said. “We want to show up in the best form possible.”