When Julia Johnson left the University of Mississippi with an undergrad in political science, an MBA and a Master of Science in sport analytics, she never imagined herself inside the broadcast booth on Golf Channel or working for PGA Tour Live.
But life has a funny way of putting you where you should be.
“I never thought I was going to do broadcasting. It kind of just fell into my lap,” explained Johnson. “I have no educational experience, I guess you could say. I just got an opportunity to step into a role, and it was really successful.”
Before stepping in front of the camera, Johnson enjoyed a very successful college career at Ole Miss, winning the 2021 NCAA DI Women’s Golf Championship 4-1 over Oklahoma State University and winning her match in the finals 4 and 3. To go along with her national championship, Johnson was the 2018 SEC Freshman of the Year, a four-time All-SEC selection, and a two-time All-American selection, just to name of few of her accomplishments from a long list.
Because of her individual and team success, Johnson and her teammates were featured on the Golf Channel often, which is where her broadcasting journey began, whether she knew it at the time or not.
“My senior year, we were on Golf Channel a lot. We won the national championship, we won Eastlake Cup, and I had formed relationships with the producers,” said the 2021 National Champion. “My fifth year, my Covid year, we did not make it to the national championship, unfortunately. So, there was an opportunity for me to fly out and shadow and learn the ins and outs of being a walker for a golf tournament for Golf Channel. I shadowed for three days, and then I actually got to go and call the Stanford/Oregon national championship the last day, which was really fun.”
Then due to a last-minute drop out of the featured group coverage at the 2023 U.S. Women’s Open, Johnson got her chance to call that tournament, then the Curtis Cup and the U.S. Junior Amateur. The broadcasting schedule started to pick up and that is where she thought she would spend the next several years, until she got invited to her third Augusta National Women’s Amateur and felt like she had some unfinished business with the game she fell in love with.
“I like the grind. I like being out there on the course, kind of by yourself and I missed that feeling,” said Johnson. “I had obviously been watching a lot of golf because I was calling it, and I felt that I didn't leave it in the best way. I had four great years of collegiate golf and then about four months of not great golf. I didn't feel like I left golf the way I should have, and I has given me so much in my life. I left it with kind of negative taste in my mouth.”
The 25-year-old signed up for LPGA Qualifying Series and eventually made it to Qualifying, where she finished T42 to earn her Epson Tour membership for the first time. Now, in her rookie season on Tour, Johnson is taking on the task of being a full-time professional and broadcaster at the same time.
After the Florida swing, while most athletes went home to relax or figure out their games, Johnson was on her way to call three weeks of golf with PGA Tour Live before having to hop on another flight for the West Coast swing of the Epson Tour season. She has been on the road nearly eight weeks now and will call the NCAA tournament next week.
But her schedule does not end there. Johnson will then head to Lancaster Country Club to call the U.S. Women’s Open.
The week after the U.S. Women’s Open the Epson Tour heads to Battle Creek, Mich., for the FireKeepers Casino Hotel Championship, which Johnson is not currently signed up for, needing a well-deserved break.
“I think I bit off a little bit more than I can chew,” laughed Johnson. “But after that (U.S. Women’s Open), I think I'm going to really like, throw all my efforts into just playing because I thought that I could do both really well, and it's really difficult. I think I'm going to really throw myself into playing golf and kind of put the broadcasting on the backburner for a little bit, at least the rest of the season, just because it's my rookie season, and I want to do a good job here, and I want to make sure I'm giving it all I've got.”
Just because broadcasting is on the backburner for Johnson does not mean she is done with it forever. Right now, her goal is to earn her LPGA Tour card and make it to the biggest stage in women’s golf, the stage that she has been broadcasting about for the last couple years.
“The ultimate goal would be to finish within the top 15 this year,” explained Johnson. “I think that if I can really find a groove and find my routine and all of that, I think I truly can finish within the top 15 and get that card. So that's my goal for this year. I'm having short-term goals, just to keep everything in perspective.
“I love broadcasting, I think it’s really fun and I love doing it. I think my ultimate goal would maybe be like, and this is way down the line, but being lead analyst one day because I really love working in the booth.”
No matter where this season ends up for the Ole Miss alum, it is hard to believe there is a busier person in the women’s game right now.
Johnson tees off for her first round of the Copper Rock Championship at 8:25 a.m. local time as she looks to make her way into one of those coveted top 15 spots in the Race for the Card.
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