Redshirt senior Ike Joy, a member of Liberty University Men’s Golf team, began his career not with a club in his hands, but with a Wii remote at 5 years old.
“Me and my older brother, we got a Nintendo Wii (for) Christmas in 2007, and one of the games that my dad got with it was a Tiger Woods PGA Tour game,” Joy said. “We had two controllers. My dad had one and then we were fighting over the other one.”
His grandmother suggested picking up golf clubs and once he started playing, Joy realized that golf came naturally to him, not only on the screen but also on the course.
“My grandma, her husband played a lot of amateur golf … and he actually was also a club builder,” Joy said. “My grandma was like, ‘Hey, instead of fighting over this, how about y’all go outside and actually play some golf?’ … Apparently, I just picked up the club and was just hitting the ball pretty immediately and was like ‘Huh, I kind of like this game.’”
From a young age, Joy was competitive in the clinics and events he participated in. He quickly found out that it was something he enjoyed.
“There was a junior clinic, and I remember I made like a 40-foot putt … to win a little trophy that I still have,” Joy said. “There were probably 40 or 50 parents that were surrounding there … so they all kind of went crazy.”
Joy discovered Liberty at a tournament he participated in, and when it came time to figure out his next move going into college, he decided to play golf as a Flame.
“I was like ‘Yeah, I think this is kind of where I want to go,’” Joy said. “It’s a great Christian environment, really good atmosphere, beautiful campus … and the practice facility that we use is really good.”
Joy knows what it means to represent Liberty on the green, and he enjoys having multiple opportunities to share the gospel with players from other schools.
“It’s a privilege, and it’s a responsibility as well, to be able to represent what Liberty stands for, which is to ultimately be ‘Champions for Christ,’” Joy said. “And it’s not just a tagline, it’sa responsibility. But it’s a privilege to be able to do that, to actually go and to spread the gospel through golf.”
Joy understands that the nature of golf allows for these conversations more so than any other sport.
“It is also a social game. When you’re walking down the fairway, you’re not trash talking each other like when you’re on offense or defense,” Joy said. “You’re typically talking to another person … It is a really nice opportunity to be able to share the gospel.”
Joy said one of the difficulties of golf is that it is an individual sport.
“It’s difficult in golf because it’s a selfish sport. It’s an individual game,” Joy said. “If you don’t put in the time and the effort yourself … it’s hard to be a role player in golf. It doesn’t really happen.”
Winning the conference championship in his junior year was a standout achievement in Joy’s career, and it is one that he will remember for a long time.
“That was really cool,” Joy said. “I went 2-0 in match play, one of my teammates here, Josh Ryan, he won a five-extra-hole playoff at sunset, almost, to win and to get us to go to regionals … That was a celebratory moment that I’ll never forget.”
Joy credited his parents with playing an integral part in his golf career, encouraging him to persevere through each game. They were always there to support him on and off the course.
“They were definitely the main reason why I stuck around and continued to play,” Joy said. “And then as time has gone on, just the support that they’ve given me has been endless.”
Following college and completing his master’s degree in public relations. Joy said he does not plan to play professional golf for now, but instead wants to help run a golf course his roommate works at.
“There’s a golf course down in Brookneal, Virginia. It’s called Hat Creek Golf Course … They’re looking for someone to take over the golf operations side of it,” Joy said. “ … For the moment I’m pretty content on teaching and trying to help people out the best I can.”
Gibson is a sports reporter for the Liberty Champion.