For many junior golfers, the dream is to play at the collegiate level or compete professionally. For Connor, his time competing on the South Florida PGA Junior Tour helped him discover a different path in the golf industry, one that allows him to share his knowledge, build relationships, and help others fall in love with the game. His golf journey began at just four or five years old, when his father would occasionally take him to Redland Golf & Country Club for a Saturday morning round. At the time, golf was simply another activity to enjoy with his dad. Baseball, karate, and swimming would all have their turns before golf eventually took center stage. That turning point came during his freshman year of high school. After spending several years swimming competitively, Connor returned to the driving range and quickly rediscovered his love for golf. “It's like they say, it's like a bug. It bites you or doesn't,” he recalled. “I got bit by the bug again.” From that day forward, he knew he wanted to pursue golf competitively. He helped start the golf team at Southridge Senior High School and began dedicating himself to improving his game, eventually joining the South Florida PGA Junior Tour. During his junior golf career, Connor competed in 23 South Florida PGA Junior Tour events, along with select tournaments through other organizations. He progressed through the Prep and Medalist Tours, steadily developing his skills and gaining valuable experience along the way. When reflecting on his junior golf years, it isn't just the competition or the scores that stand out. It's the friendships. One of his closest friends, Dylan Grassbaugh, is someone Connor met through the Junior Tour. The two practiced at Palmetto, shared a coach at one point, participated in summer camps together, and frequently found themselves paired in tournaments.One memory that still makes him smile is a 2019 Prep Tour event at PGA National's Fazio Course. The two spent much of the night playing pool in their hotel room, leaving themselves exhausted the following morning.Despite the lack of sleep, the trip remains one of his favorite junior golf memories. For Connor, those lasting relationships represent one of the most meaningful parts of junior golf. Traveling to tournaments, meeting players from across the state, sharing meals with fellow competitors and their families, and supporting one another created a sense of community that extended well beyond the course. “Definitely the friends I've met on the way on the junior tour,” he said when asked what had the greatest impact on him. “Countless people that I met on tour really were able for all of us to just be level-headed.” As Connor progressed through the Junior Tour, he found himself weighing whether to continue pursuing competitive golf or explore another direction within the industry. He had improved significantly in a relatively short period, progressing through the tours and developing his game. However, he also recognized that the mental side of competition presented challenges, and he eventually reached a point where he began considering other opportunities. He had some college golf opportunities, but ultimately decided that teaching was where his interests and strengths aligned most naturally. Having already gained experience helping with summer camps and introducing others to golf, Connor discovered that he enjoyed teaching players of all ages and skill levels just as much as competing himself. After high school, he began teaching at Crandon Golf Course and started working toward his PGA Professional credentials. Today, he works full-time as a golf specialist and Master Club Fitter at Dick's Sporting Goods in Kendall while continuing to give lessons at Miccosukee Golf & Country Club and working toward the next steps in his professional development. Balancing a full-time job, lessons, and his PGA education requires plenty of dedication. Some days involve teaching after work, while others mean fitting in coursework or seminars before his shift begins. Still, he remains committed to building a long-term career in golf instruction with his goals being to passing the Playing Ability Test (PAT), continuing his professional education, and working toward his coaching credentials over the next several years. For Connor, the most rewarding part of teaching is seeing the moment when something finally clicks for a student. Whether it's adjusting a grip, improving a stance, or finding a more consistent swing, he enjoys helping golfers understand their game and develop the confidence to improve. “Once you see them finally get that aha moment, and they start to strike the ball well, they start to see a flight that they want to hit,” he explained. “It really makes me happy to see that I can make these people have these aha moments.” One particularly rewarding example is a friend he met while working at Dick's Sporting Goods. When they first connected last November, the friend was relatively new to golf. Through lessons and consistent practice, he progressed to shooting scores in the mid-70s in less than a year. Seeing that improvement reinforced Connor's passion for teaching and his desire to help others reach their goals. His approach to instruction has also been shaped by the coaches who helped him develop as a player. He credits his former coaches, particularly Armando, with helping him improve both technically and mentally. Rather than adopting a single teaching philosophy, Connor takes what he has learned from different instructors and works to incorporate those lessons into his own approach. As a hands-on learner, he continues to ask questions, observe experienced professionals, and learn directly from others whenever possible. He also believes instructors should recognize their own strengths and learn how to translate them into effective lessons. For Connor, that means drawing on his strengths in iron play, bunker shots, chipping, and putting while continuing to develop the rest of his game. Although his career is still developing, Connor has already gained a perspective that he hopes younger golfers will carry with them throughout their own journeys. His advice is simple: work hard, embrace the challenge, and give yourself the opportunity to learn. He encourages junior golfers to compete, challenge themselves, and pursue their goals, even when the outcome isn't what they hoped for. Not every player will end up playing college golf, and not every competitive golfer will follow the same path. But the experience and discipline gained along the way can create opportunities throughout the golf industry and beyond. He also encourages young people interested in teaching to learn from a variety of professionals rather than simply copying one person's methods. “Try to take a lot of different pieces and make it your own,” he advised. Connor's story is a reminder that there isn't just one way to build a career in golf. The South Florida PGA Junior Tour gave him a place to develop as a competitor, form lasting friendships, and learn lessons that continue to influence his professional life. Today, he is channeling those experiences into helping the next generation of golfers find their footing, whether they're picking up a club for the first time or working toward a specific scoring goal. As he continues working toward his Class A PGA membership and establishing himself as an instructor, his focus remains on improving his craft, learning from others, and helping golfers experience the same excitement that first drew him back to the game.  For Connor, the goal is no longer simply to become a better player. It's to help others become better golfers, too.

PALM CITY, FL – Samuel Friday, Nirvika Koduru, and Victor Monssoh earned division titles at the Srixon South Florida PGA Medalist Tour event, held on October 17–18, 2026, at Hammock Creek Golf Club. Boys 13–18 Division In the Boys 13–18 Division, Samuel Friday of Jupiter opened with a tournament-low and career-low 7-under first round. William Sullivan of Tequesta and Tyler Lilienfeld of Palm City were right behind Friday, sitting at 6-under through round one. In the final round, Friday stayed steady by shooting even-par, ultimately leading to his first-ever victory at his home course and his first since joining the Medalist Tour in 2025. Tankhun Ritthisorn of Jupiter surged up the leaderboard, shooting 3-under in the final round and forcing a scorecard playoff with Sullivan. With a score of 1-under on the back nine, Ritthisorn claimed the runner-up spot over Sullivan. Girls 13–18 Division In the Girls 13–18 Division, Nirvika Koduru of Boca Raton was tied for third place with Harper Kiss of Lighthouse Point after an opening round of 3-under. At the top of the leaderboard was Nishika Koduru of Boca Raton at 5-under, and Maitri Peychaux of Port Saint Lucie trailing Nishika at 4-under. In round two, Nirvika made a charge for the lead, making two birdies on the front nine to take a one-stroke lead. Nishika responded on the back nine by shooting even-par, while Nirvika made a bogey on 17, creating a playoff between the siblings after both finished at 4-under. After three playoff holes, Nirvika won the playoff over Nishika and was crowned champion for the second time in her career on the Medalist Tour. Boys 11–12 Division In the Boys 11–12 Division, Victor Monssoh of Miami carded an opening round of 2-over-par, finishing one stroke behind Griffin Glassman of Boca Raton. Monssoh fired a 1-over final round, highlighted by two birdies, to secure the championship title over Glassman, who finished as the runner-up at 5-over. Event Photos | Event Leaderboard