JOSH LUNDMARK MEMBER OF THREE HINSDALE CENTRAL STATE TITLE TEAMS • PLAYS SPIKEBALL AND ENJOYS CROSSWORD PUZZLES • OLDER BROTHER TO SOPHIE • ASPIRES TO PLAY ON THE PGA TOUR
Josh Lundmark has learned to be resilient in the face of adversity.
The recent Cornell University graduate and standout golfer said his last four years has stretched both his outward-looking perspective and personal perseverance.
"I feel like I'm more comfortable in uncomfortable situations now," said the Hinsdale native, who received his bachelor's degree in computer science last month.
He parlayed his course exploits at Hinsdale Central into a key role on Cornell's golf roster, leading the Big Red with a 73.57 scoring average his senior year and carding a team season-low of 67 in the first round of the Columbia Autumn Invitational last fall.
"It was a solid all-around year," said Lundmark, who couldn't help cite a few disappointing results along with his triumphs.
Notably, the start of Lundmark's Division I career was marked by considerable disappointment with a freshman schedule cut short and sophomore season wiped out by the pandemic. His game suffered due to lack of competition and little access to facilities, he related, and taking classes via Zoom were a tough adjustment.
"I had to work harder just to keep my grades up," he remarked. "It was a mountain that I had to climb. I didn't know if I was even going to get to the top."
Once COVID eased, Lundmark equipped himself with greater presence and patience to help strike the right balance between sports and studies.
"As a golfer, I learned a lot about my headspace and how I manage myself getting ready for tournaments," he related. "I developed an ability to stay present in the moment while on the golf course and not on what I have to study when I get back to campus."
Lundmark has appreciated the memorable destinations his collegiate athletic travels took him too.
"I got to play a lot of cool courses like Seminole (Fla.), Medalist (Fla.), Stanwich Country Club in Greenwich, Ct., and Quaker Ridge (N.Y.)," he detailed.
Going to school in upstate New York also rekindled Lundmark's love of skiing. And with a lot of fellow graduates now working in New York City, he looks forward to crashing with friends on Big Apple visits.
This summer Lundmark will keep his skills sharp playing in the North & South Men's Championship in Pinehurst, N.C., and the Illinois State Amateur Championship, among other tournaments. And he'll be resettling at the University of Iowa to pursue master's degrees in finance and business analytics.
With two years of NCAA eligibility remaining due to the pandemic, he'll also be able to reunite with former Red Devil teammate Mac McClear on the Hawkeyes golf team.
"That'll be really cool playing in the Big 10. It's going to be a whole different world," he said, Lundmark reflected on his first family visit to Cornell as a junior in high school. He took a picture then in front of Cornell's famous McGraw Tower.
"After graduation we went back to the tower and took a picture. It reminded me that we were here six years ago, that I'd kind of ended up in the same spot," he said pensively, before adding, "but I've grown 2 inches and have facial hair now."
