Q&A: John Broderick, University of Virginia
Alex Elias
As a Graduate Student on the University of Virginia Men’s Golf Team, what are you most excited about?
I’m super excited for this year. I’ve been on campus now for about five weeks, and I’m really enjoying it so far. I think what I’m most looking forward to is the opportunity to be a leader. We have a lot of young guys on the team, and a lot of talent—and can be a great team—so I’m just hoping that I can do my part in helping those guys with anything that comes our way.
For me specifically, I’m excited to get one more year of collegiate golf. It’s definitely one of the most exciting things to do in life, and what I’ve worked so hard for since I was a kid, so to get an extra year, I’m so grateful and excited for the opportunity.
After four years at Vanderbilt University, with plenty of highs and lows—including a career-best T-3 finish at the 2024 Wolfpack Individual Invitational as a Sophomore, a T-7th at the Inverness Intercollegiate as a Junior, and a low round of 65 that is tied for the fifth-lowest single-round total in program history—how have you learned to balance the highs and lows that come with the game of golf?
It’s tough in life, and it’s certainly tough in the game of golf. I try and never get too high or too low. I do my best to not allow my score to affect how I carry myself, but it can be tough at times. For me, even if I’m playing really well, I am always trying to get better, as it keeps you in an aggressive mindset. Looking back, I think sometimes when I was playing well, I got a little too comfortable.
Also, it’s so important to maintain a lot of trust and confidence. If things aren’t going well, then you can at least trust the process and keep telling yourself the game is going to start going your way.
How would you describe the current state of your game? And coming off the summer, what aspect of your game do you feel has improved the most?
I would say the current state of my game is much better than it was a few months ago. I’ve definitely been in a rut with my ball striking for a little over a year now, which has been frustrating considering that’s historically been the best part of my game, but I really feel like I’m on the right track to get back to where I know I can be.
Where I’ve improved most is because of that lack of ball striking. That struggle has been really helpful in improving my chipping and putting, and my ability to just grind out rounds.
Once I get my ball striking back to where I know it can be, and know I can rely on what I’ve improved on, I can be an even better player than I was before.
In speaking with a friend of both of ours recently, he mentioned that you’ve been struggling a bit with your ball striking, as you just mentioned as well, while your short game has been as good as it’s ever been. How much of a benefit is it to know you have a strong chance of getting up and down when you miss a green? At the same time, how much do you not want to rely on that and instead put yourself in a position to hit more greens? Is there a balance there that you try to find?
It’s definitely a massive benefit to know I have a good chance of getting up and down when I miss the green. It has freed me up on my approach shots, as I know the margin isn’t as thin, but at the same time I try and remind myself that you don’t always have to force the issue. Sometimes an approach to 40 feet and a two-putt can give you as much confidence and provide as much of a momentum boost as making a birdie.
