Julia Potter-Bobb
Influencing the game close to home
From her days as a collegiate star to her successful run as a mid-amateur, Julia Potter-Bobb has thrived as a competitor. She’s now putting her accumulated knowledge to use in her home state, helping to push the game forward as a leader within Indiana Golf.
Growing up in the town of Granger, Potter-Bobb was introduced to the game at a young age by her father, who viewed golf as a pathway to a college degree. While knocking it around with a cut-down wedge piqued her interest, Potter-Bobb was soon bitten by the tournament bug.
“I ended up just falling in love with playing competitive golf,” she said. “If there was a tournament I could play, I’d want to be in the field.”
Potter-Bobb’s competitive appetite paid dividends when she secured a scholarship to the University of Missouri, where she enrolled in 2006. She enjoyed an outstanding collegiate career, racking up five individual victories and starting in every event.
Seeking to build her résumé while in college, she accepted a USGA P.J. Boatwright Internship with the Missouri Golf Association. Working to stage tournaments across the state, she developed a knack for the administrative side of the game.
“It was such an eye-opening experience, taking in the game of golf in a different manner,” Potter-Bobb recalled. “It totally spearheaded what my long-term career goal would be.”
“Playing professionally taught me how I really wanted to engage with golf. It showed me what didn’t work when trying to keep the sport in my life.”
julia potter-bobb
After a “victory lap” fifth year at Missouri, Potter-Bobb pondered the decision to turn professional. With encouragement from her father, she decided to give it a shot. She secured full status on what’s now the Epson Tour via Q-School, giving herself a modicum of job security for the upcoming season. However, she admittedly struggled to find her footing when her livelihood was on the line.
“I had to kind of change the way I managed myself, on and off the course,” Potter-Bobb said. “I found it hard to think about the paycheck when I was out there.”
While she had the game to contend, the culture shock of professional life became a major roadblock for Potter-Bobb. She had always worked on her craft, but found the nine-to-five range schedules of her fellow competitors exhausting. She had an abundance of competitive drive, but couldn’t get behind the cutthroat attitude needed to thrive as a touring pro. Eventually, it became clear this was not her spot in golf.
“Playing professionally taught me how I really wanted to engage with golf,” Potter-Bobb said. “It showed me what didn’t work when trying to keep the sport in my life.”
With a broader perspective, Potter-Bobb transitioned to a sports management career. Drawing on experience from her USGA internship, she accepted a position with Indiana Golf as the association’s director of marketing. With the added benefit of returning to her home state, the job was an appealing change of gear.
Despite her retirement as a pro, Potter-Bobb’s competitive fire hadn’t dulled. She was reinstated as an amateur with an eye toward competing in the U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur.
In her championship debut in 2013, Potter-Bobb’s expectations were remarkably low. She didn’t even save enough vacation days to make it to the final round of match play.
However, before she could blink, Potter-Bobb had earned medalist honors by five strokes at Biltmore Forest Country Club in Asheville, North Carolina.
“I didn’t even know there was a medalist presentation,” Potter-Bobb chuckled. “I was absent for it.”
She proceeded to dismantle her side of the match-play bracket on a scorched-earth march to the title, defeating Margaret Shirley in 19 holes in the final. “Holy s***, I’m a USGA champion,” she exclaimed to her father-turned-caddie upon winning. Three years later, Potter-Bobb claimed a second U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur title at the Kahkwa Club in Erie, Pennsylvania.
Potter-Bobb now leads the member services division for Indiana Golf, assisting thousands of PGA professionals and amateur competitors across the state in growing the game. She is still competitive, having traveled across the pond this year to play in the prestigious St. Rule Trophy.
Potter-Bobb has found a relationship with the game that fits within her life rather than disrupting it. She has created a path that is distinctly her own.
Daniel Polce
