Sarasota Athlete of the Week: Jake MacDonald

Sarasota High boys golfer Jake MacDonald finished in 10th place individually at the Class 3A state championship last season, leading a group of five golfers who placed in the top 90.

That finish wasn’t satisfactory to MacDonald, who has his sights set on bringing home a state championship this fall in his senior season with the Sailors.

When and why did you start playing golf?

I started at a pretty young age. I live on a golf course, Sara Bay, which is one of the top courses in the area. My grandma, my grandpa and my dad are all into golf, so it was easy for me to get into it from a young age. It’s just felt normal to me ever since and I fell in love with it. 

What was the most memorable moment for you this summer?

Practicing with my buddies is always a good time. I played in a bunch of tournaments and did pretty solid here and there. It’s always fun playing with my buddies, grinding every day and seeing improvement. 

How have you developed your game recently?

I think putting. My whole life, I’ve been one to mess around with a bunch of putters, and I think I’ve finally found the one, which is nice. It’s the (Odyssey) Jailbird. It’s a counter-balance putter, which is nice. I’ve bounced around with blades and weird putters, but it’s nice to finally find a good fit. I’ve only had it for probably a month, but it’s been great, and probably the most confident I’ve ever felt with a putter.

What is your all-time favorite golf memory?

Probably us making states. Sarasota hasn’t always been a big golf program. I think that was a big step for us, and we’re going to do some special stuff this year. We have a good group of guys. I think we can do some damage against other teams at states.

What makes you confident in this year’s team?

Seeing how much everyone has improved from last year. Last year we did well. I think we could have done better, but seeing how much better everyone is this year makes me feel pretty good. 

What is a realistic goal for this year?

I think winning states as a team. I think we can. Hopefully I can win individually, too, of course. I think I can do it. There’s a lot of talented players in Florida, obviously. It’s one of the best in the country. It’s going to be tough, but I think I can do it. 

What has been your most humbling moment in golf?

My sophomore year was pretty humbling. My freshman year, I came to the high school scene and played pretty solid and made a name for myself. Then my sophomore year, I underperformed quite a bit. I didn’t have my best stuff, and that was a humbling experience. I worked really hard that offseason to put my game in a good spot.

What is your favorite meal?

My parents work at a seafood restaurant on St. Armands (Crab & Fin), so something seafood for sure. I’ve been around it my whole life. Something with shrimp or salmon always hits the spot.

What is your favorite TV show or movie?

I love Breaking Bad. You never know who’s who, and people are always hiding something. I think it’s an interesting show.

What is your go-to warm-up song?

I wouldn’t say a go-to song. I don’t usually listen to music when I play. I like to listen to Drake, sometimes some country music is good.

When you’re not golfing, what are you doing?

I like to work out. I run a lot, too. I try to stay in shape because golf isn’t the most physical sport. I play tennis a lot with my dad (Scott MacDonald) because he played tennis when he was younger.

Who is your favorite golfer and why?

I mean, who doesn’t like Scottie Scheffler? That’s kind of a basic answer. I like Keegan Bradley a lot, too. He’s kind of an underdog. Him being the Ryder Cup Captain this year, it’ll be interesting to see if he picks himself or not. I’d like to see him get picked. 

Finish this sentence. Jake MacDonald is…

The 2025 state champion.