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A.J. From B.C.

When you are a 10-year-old, life easily can be the best of times or the worst of times, including on the golf course.

Case in point: A.J. Ewart, now age 21.

First, the worst of times:

At age 10, young A.J., who is currently the top player on the much-acclaimed Barry University golf team, was playing by himself and using a pushcart. Everything was going just fine until the pushcart got away from him. No big deal. Well, except for the cart, bag and all, rolling straight into a pond. “Pro shop helped me get it out,” Ewart sheepishly recalls. The youngster was “mortified” at the time. Did he tell his parents? “Yes. I had to.” Good choice, young A.J.

Then, somewhat older, there was another upsetting episode in Ewart’s golfing life. Ewart was playing in a tournament and hit “a really miserable shot and I slammed my club into my bag.” He finished the round and went to get his possessions out of the bag. “I reached in and my cellphone was in two pieces. That incident certainly taught me about anger management,” he remembered.

OK, enough about traumatic golf experiences. After all, pretty much any golfer alive has experienced some regretful incidents on the course.

Now we go to the best of the times:

As a 9-year-old, Ewart made his first hole-in-one. That’s accomplishing something that many golfers take a lifetime to achieve … or never achieve. “The hole was 110 yards and I used my 5-iron,” Ewart recalled.

“Was playing with my uncle.” When Ewart saw the ball plop into the cup, “I sprinted all the way to the green to see the ball in the hole.” His uncle just watched on in delight. Then came the next hole. “I was so happy about the hole-in-one I made a triple-bogey on that hole,” Ewart said. “That hole-in-one still is the best moment in my golfing life.”

There’s another good thing that has happened, and still happens, to Ewart. “Just being on a golf course so much of my time,” he said. “It’s just great.”
Fast forward to current times.

Ewart has become the No. 1 player on the Barry Buccaneers golf team, a Division II school coached by Jimmy Stobs that is ranked No. 1 in the South Region of the U.S. and tied for third nationally. Can such lofty rankings put undue pressure on Ewart and Stobs?

Nah, they just say “bring it on.”

A.J. Ewart and Jimmy Stobs of Barry, which opens the season No. 3 in the country.

In fact, they can’t wait for the season to start since they have been waiting far too long as the pandemic cancelled the fall portion of the season. As the Spring season starts, the Buccaneers officially will be starting their quest for a fourth Division II national championship.

Ewart’s eventual arrival at Barry University was not an easy journey.

Growing up and playing golf in British Columbia, he had committed to play for the well-known Arizona State University program as a sophomore in high school, and definitely was looking forward to it. Then there was an unexpected twist.

“The coach at Arizona State left and the new coach told me that I better start figuring out something different,” Ewart said.

Things got even worse. “After the incident at Arizona State I committed to the University of Nevada and that also fell through. At that point I started thinking maybe college golf wasn’t destined for me.”

Ewart started thinking about turning professional but knew, “That would be a long shot.”

Overall, you could say Ewart just felt “lost.” What next was the big question on his mind.

Then he got some help. During his junior days, Ewart had played for the Canadian National Team.

The coach of the national team, Derek Ingraham, promptly told him to nix the turning pro idea. The coach mentioned that Ewart should look for other options and that he should think about Division II schools.

Then Ingraham reached out to Barry coach Stobs, who called Ewart.

“We talked a bit – coach Stobs and myself – and he sounded like a really good guy with a lot of success,” Ewart said. Stobs and Ewart reached agreement on him playing for Barry. There would be no more rejection for Ewart this time – just embracement.

“For sure, I don’t know where I would be today without coach Stobs,” Ewart said. “I might not even be playing golf.”

The feeling is mutual. “A.J. is a great kid,” Stobs said. “He’s been a huge addition to the team. He has high goals on the golf course and is very structured and disciplined. His IQ for the game shows.”

Obviously, coming to Miami was both a culture change and weather change from British Columbia.

“In British Columbia, I played in every weather you can imagine,” Ewart said. “It rained a lot – downpours. It was snowing a lot. There was a lot of hail – and I played in it.”

Ewart has found being in Miami has been the continental opposite to British Columbia, literally. “I can play every day here,” he said with a smile.

The sojourn by Ewart from the chill of British Columbia to the sun of Miami certainly wasn’t easy, but one thing can be said about Ewart during that transition – he persevered.

“A.J. is a great kid. He’s been a huge addition to the team. He has high goals on the golf course and is very structured and disciplined. His IQ for the game shows.”
coach jimmy stobs

Strangely, Ewart’s golf journey started at age 1.

“That’s when my Dad put a club in my hand,” Ewart said. “Of course, I don’t remember it.”

However, there is one thing he does remember quite well. “My parents [dad, Brad, and mom, Hiroko] have sacrificed so many things for me and letting me play golf. I’m so thankful to them.”

These days, Ewart can shrug off tough times on a course.

Asked if he could remember the worst shot he ever made, he responded with a smile and then a laugh,

“Nope, there’s way too many of them.”

Obviously, throughout his golf journey starting at 1, Ewart is aware and accepts all the vagaries that golf provides.

One part he particularly enjoys.

“It being such a mental game is what makes it interesting,” he said. “The mental part is the most important part of golf. Yes, it’s a frustrating game and a challenge every time you play. That’s because golf is something you can’t perfect doing.”

That said, he concluded: “That’s part of the fun.”

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