University of Minnesota Athletics
Get to Know: Riley Johnson
10/9/2014 12:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
Riley Johnson (Fargo, N.D./West Fargo) won high school state championships in 2012 and 2014 before arriving at the University of Minnesota. The freshman played as an individual at the Gopher Invitational, and is set to make his team debut at the Alister MacKenzie Invitational next week. GopherSports.com sat down with Johnson for an interview.
GopherSports: What were some differences between your first and second state titles?
Riley Johnson: My first one was my sophomore year and I knew I could do it. I knew I had the game obviously, but there was a lot of competition. It was a windy day the first day. It was a tough day. I just went out and played golf and hit good shots. I had a two-shot lead on the first day, and the next day went out and shot a 1-under to win it by five.
My senior year was a great introduction into Gopher golf. I knew I could do it. I had a lot of expectations and pressure riding on me but I just go out and play golf and have fun.
GS: What are some of your favorite non-school junior/amateur golf memories?
RJ: The US Junior Am held in Truckee, Calif., was an amazing experience. The top junior golfers from around the world come and play in that. To have that experience on my résumé was awesome. To see the past champions of the US Junior like Tiger Woods and all these professionals now shows how big the tournament was.
GS: Did you know your current teammate and fellow Fargo native Grady Meyer pretty well before coming here?
RJ: Oh yeah, I knew Grady. We were competitors all through. I think we met in sixth grade. We grew up together. We grew up playing each other. We know each other's golf swing pretty well. We know how we play together. We still play together in the summer at Oxbow so it's a good deal.
GS: Did he affect your decision to come to the U?
RJ: Yeah, he was getting recruited his junior year. When I was playing with him my sophomore year Coach Stith (now at Iowa) was recruiting Grady and saw how I was playing. Later that year I won state and that's how it took off.
GS: What ultimately led to you coming here?
RJ: Ever since I was a little kid I have always wanted to come to Minnesota. I was born in Maple Grove. I grew up a Minnesota fan and always loved them, so I knew I was going to come here.
GS: What's your favorite course in the Twin Cities?
RJ: Well, we did play Hazeltine. That's a great golf course
GS: How has your experience been so far your freshman year?
RJ: Great experience. I love the coaches. I love Coach Carlson and Coach Smith. They're great. The golf courses we have played so far have been miraculous. It's an overall great experience so far.
GS: Do you carry around anything interesting in your golf bag?
RJ: Not really, but I've always had a favorite shirt. I don't know, it's just kind of a superstition I guess.
GS: Who are your favorite pro players to follow?
RJ: I really like watching Rickie Fowler and Brandt Snedeker.
GS: What do you like to do off the course?
RJ: Off the course, I like hanging out with my friends. Obviously I have to do a little homework, and I like listening to music.
GS: What do you like about the Twin Cities?
RJ: When I step out of our classroom I can see the skyline and the skyscrapers in the distance and just know that I'm in a big city and I represent the Gophers. It's awesome.
Players Mentioned
