Dawson French ’24 | Arudra Venugopalan ’24
Hunter Stetson ’24 is characterized by his hard work off the course, patience while playing, and leadership skills. At two years of age, Stetson lived in Vermont with his family and took frequent visits to golf courses with his dad. He moved to Pennsylvania when he was seven years old. Despite temporarily falling out of love with the sport when he moved, a tournament which he participated in, held at the Aronimink Golf Club, reignited his love for the sport. At thirteen, Stetson, once again, made an effort to pursue the sport of golf.
Golf is a game that requires constant repetition and hard work. Stetson’s teammates and coaches are quick to appreciate these exact traits in him to both the team and the sport. Jack Logan ’24, a member of the Boys Varsity Golf team, comments, “Hunter is one of the most dedicated athletes I have ever encountered. Nobody works harder or cares more about the sport than Hunter.” Bennett Newman ’26 adds, “It’s inspiring to see someone who is putting that much effort into the sport and getting the results that he wants.”
Photo Courtesy of Gold Association of Philadelphia
Having had one of the most successful high school golf careers in all of Episcopal’s history, it is no surprise that patience is one of Hunter’s greatest virtues. “I attribute my success to my mindset and my decision-making,” says Stetson. “I think a lot of kids don’t play in tournaments, so they’re used to hitting the ball as hard as they can and going to the pin, whereas I am more smart with my decisions and how I am going to make the best possible score on this hole without bringing trouble into play.” Newman remarks, “He is very thoughtful and analytical about all of his shots. Hunter is very consistent too. Even when he hits it out, he plays it smart, so he controls his misses really well.”
Stetson is also known for his leadership skills on and off the course as Doug Borgerson, Head Coach of the EA Boys Golf Team, comments, “Golf is an individual sport and often players of his level can be self-centered. Fortunately for us, [Stetson] is the exact opposite and always wants to help a teammate work on their game, map out the next course we play, and most importantly, he is genuinely excited at their success.” Logan reiterates this point remarking, “Nobody is a better teammate than Hunter in a sport where teamwork is arguably inessential.”
Being a varsity athlete all four years of high school, the team holds a special place in Stetson’s heart. When asked what his greatest joy about the EA golf program is, Stetson responded with a straight-forward answer, speaking of the team’s camaraderie, “We’re always each other’s’ biggest fans, we’re always routing for each other, we’re always helping each other, we’re not afraid to tell someone when something’s off about their game,” explains Stetson. He continues, “We support each other in the right way by giving each other constructive criticism, and it’s really helpful for making all of us better, and it’s really how, especially this year, we’re going to improve as a team.”
Logan’s favorite memory of Hunter was during the pandemic in 2021. As Logan explains, “Hunter was out with Covid, and we had one of the biggest matches of the year coming up. I received one of the longest text messages of my life from Hunter, who had created an entire course write-up for the course I was about to play. It was so detailed that it had a step-by-step guide for each and every hole.” He continues, “That moment has always stuck with me. No matter if I’m in the game or not, I always strive to have that level of support for my teammates.” Newman adds, “The day before matches, he makes sure everyone knows the course and offers us a rundown, hole-by-hole. He tells us how each hole plays differently and what to keep in mind, which is really helpful when you are actually playing.”
Stetson is extremely grateful to his coaches and teammates for helping him persevere in his journey to become a competitive collegiate athlete. Borgerson remarks, “I hope he continues to grow his game and reaches his ultimate lofty goal of making it onto the PGA tour! I know it sounds a little bit crazy, but he has the talent, competitiveness, and work ethic to have a chance.”