The culture at Edmond Santa Fe High School makes Gunnar Elliott proud to represent the Wolves as a senior student-athlete. He says his favorite part of golfing is spending time with his team and meeting new people. He jokingly adds that getting out of school to play in tournaments is always a good thing.
According to Gunnar, golf can be equally addicting and aggravating. However, he embraces all aspects of the game, as they have helped him learn to control his emotions. Advice from his golf instructor helps him focus on his game. “Sometimes you need to just play to the best of your own ability.”
Teammates boost morale on the course. “Ben Stroman, he and I have become very close friends with each other and I believe that whenever either of us are playing bad we can talk each other back into the right mind,” says Gunnar.
Gunnar is inspired by his mother who has a sixth sense for when he needs a little extra motivation. When he is having a bad day or a rough round, she always sends him a text when he needs it most.
“I want to say thank you to my coaches for keeping my head right when I’m playing bad and for all they have sacrificed for me and believing in me, knowing that I can always be better. Thank you to my teammates for all the laughs, the fun dinner trips, the stories about our rounds after each tournament and just getting to spend time with all of them.
“And finally, thank you to the parents for everything. Nothing would be the same without them. All their sacrifices for the booster club and just showing up at tournaments to see us play, it truly means a lot more than they think,” said Gunnar.
Gunnar has enjoyed his time playing high school golf. He will always remember when his 5-iron head flew off during the 2024 regionals preview and setting his personal best record in recent back-to-back tournaments. With graduation just around the corner, Gunnar’s eyes are on the future. He will be attending Oklahoma State University, majoring in Management Information Systems.
