Boys golf has a storied history at Saint Stephen’s that includes three state championships, a trio of prep All-Americans, and a lengthy roster of successful collegiate and professional performers. The latest state crown came in 2021, when the Falcons entered the final round trailing Lake Mary Prep by three strokes but produced a scorching 287 team score to ultimately win by 11. SSES also dominated the individual leaderboard. Alex Long (Texas A&M) was the tournament medalist. His brother Ben Long (Kansas) and teammate Leo Li (Colgate) finished tied for second, just one stroke back.

That championship was the culmination of a run that began in 2020, when the Long brothers paced the Falcons to their first state tournament berth since 2017. SSES finished seventh overall and both Longs were in the top 10 individually – Ben in third and Alex in seventh. Led once again by the brothers, the 2022 Falcons qualified for the state tournament and finished eighth. During Alex’s senior season in 2023, SSES won district and regional titles, and made its fourth consecutive state tournament appearance, placing 14th.

Tyler Leon led the Falcons to their first FHSAA state team title in 2000 and carded rounds of 66 and 69 to capture the individual crown. Two years later, as a senior, Leon was named an All-American and signed with Oklahoma State, where he helped the Cowboys win the 2006 NCAA Championship. He went on to play professionally in 11 PGA Tour events. The Falcons also won the state title in 2004, led by two-time team captain Michael Amato. Amato was runner-up for Florida player of the year honors that season and later starred at Brown University.

The list of prominent SSES alumni also includes All-Americans Leif Olson (1998) and Mike Barbosa (1999). Olson was a four-year team captain for the Falcons before attending Duke University. He was a key player with the Blue Devils before turning pro in 2004. Olson teed off in 23 PGA Tour events during his career. His best season came in 2009, when he made the cut five times, finished third in the Turning Stone Resort Championship, and earned more than $400,000. Barbosa starred at Georgia Tech and qualified to play in the U.S. Open as an amateur in 2011.

The Falcons have dominated the local high school scene for the past decade. SSES advanced to four consecutive state tournaments between 2014-17 – finishing 5th (2014), 7th (2015), 3rd (2016) and 2nd (2017) – and repeated the feat from 2020-2023 – placing 7th (2020), 1st (2021), 8th (2022) and 14th (2023). Individually, at least one Saint Stephen’s golfer placed in the Top 10 at state in four straight tournaments – David Hu (9th/2017), Alan Klenor (10th/2016), Justin Wynen (8th/2015) and Jack Cen (6th/2014).