Sophomore Joshua Mathis always wanted to be a basketball player. The thought of playing golf in college, much less making school history, never even crossed his mind. Three years ago, however, as a 5’9 junior in high school, he made the decision to give up basketball and focus on another sport.

“I really only got involved in golf because of my dad,” said Mathis. “He would take me to play sometimes when I was younger because he was really into it.”

During his senior year, he began to show that he had the potential to compete at the collegiate level. It was here that his journey into the Biola history books began.

Coming to California for the climate

Mathis hails from Colorado Springs, Colo. and wanted to be able to golf year round, so he applied primarily to schools in California for its exceptional weather. He contacted a few schools in Southern California, including Biola, and talked to former golf coach John Lane. Mathis concluded that God was leading him to Biola, and he eventually made his decision to attend this school.

During Mathis’ first semester, his father was diagnosed with cancer. Then, a couple days after the fall season’s last tournament, his father passed away.

The misery from the loss was reflected in his game. His scores fluctuated between exceeding highs and lows during the second semester, depending on how he was coping with his situation during a tournament.

Pushing through pain

In spite of this, his ability to focus amidst the pain became evident. He still managed to set a school record for the best single round of golf with a score of 67 at the Cal Baptist Spring Break Collegiate Tournament.

“He’s a grinder; if things don’t go his way, he’ll fight back,” teammate Kenny Gibo said of Mathis’ strong mentality.

Coach Woodrome agreed. “He’s a fighter, he just doesn’t give up,” said Woodrome. “That’s what I really noticed about him.”

Since his father was the main reason why he got involved in golf, it was difficult to avoid missing him every time he stepped on a course. Mathis decided to focus on the good times they shared, instead of dwelling on why he was gone. To help him do this, he began to wear a wristband and a necklace in memory of his father.

Second year season

The summer transitioning into his sophomore year was a time of rebuilding and preparation for the upcoming season. As Mathis began to slowly heal from his loss, his golf game began to return to its original consistency.

He won the Colorado Springs Country Club Championship, and also finished third in the Colorado Amateur Championship. After a productive off-season, his confidence began to increase.

“Thankfully, God brought me through that time and allowed me to be focused coming into my sophomore year,” said Mathis.

Facing new situations

Along with some new teammates and a new season, Mathis was also faced with a new coach — Hank Woodrome, who leads both the men and women’s teams.

In some situations, a new coach means that the team would go through some “growing pains,” as new philosophies clash with the former way of doing things — but this has not been the case. Woodrome and Joshua met at a Professional Golfer’s Association course about a year ago, which contributed to the smooth transition.

Mathis credits Woodrome for helping him strengthen his mental aspect of the game, by giving him confidence and believing in him.

“I see that he’s a very good putter. He’s confident, even though sometimes he tells me he’s not,” said Woodrome. “I watch him, and I wish I putted like he does now. He putts well, believe me.”

Making Biola's history with tournament win

This season’s opener was a two-day tournament called the Southwestern College Fall Invitational. Mathis led the Eagles by finishing third in the tournament with a final score of 146, two shots over par.

This was a respectable start, but what occurred at the second tournament of the season is remarkable. At the Lamkin Grip Invitational, Mathis became the first player to win a tournament in the history of Biola’s golf program, recording a score of 69 according to golfstat.com.

It was his first collegiate victory, and the feat was even more impressive because it was achieved on Sept. 27, the hottest day in L.A. history, with temperatures reaching 113 degrees.

“It feels awesome to make Biola history,” Mathis said. “I really wanted to win a tournament last year, but I just wasn’t consistent enough. Hopefully there will be more records to come.”

Mathis surprised by win

Mathis left the tournament right after he finished playing in order to attend a class, so he was not present when the final results were calculated. He did not feel that he had played exceptionally well, and was surprised when he heard that he had emerged as the winner.

Mathis was quick to include his teammates in his future endeavors.

“I’d like to win a few more tournaments in my time here, but my main goal is a team goal,” said Mathis. “I would really like our team to qualify for nationals at some point while I’m here.”

With two more years of collegiate golf ahead of him, Mathis will continue to honor his father and have the opportunity to achieve his ambitions.