For senior business administration major Santiago Gomez, coming to NSU meant being one step closer to accomplishing his dream of playing professional golf in the U.S.
Gomez, who is originally from Colombia, is no stranger to success in golf, both inside and outside of the U.S. In high school, Gomez was ranked number one in Colombia and played on the Colombian National Team.
Before coming to NSU, Gomez spent two years at Midwestern State University, where he earned two first place tournament finishes, and the Golf Coaches Association of America named him to the All-Freshman Team.
In 2015, he was the number-one ranked golfer in all of Division II, earned the Jack Nicklaus Award and was also a member of the NCAA National Championship team.
After graduation, Gomez plans to pursue a professional golf career.
I got the chance to sit down with Gomez and ask him a few questions.
How did you get into golfing?
“I am from Colombia, and my family has a membership to a country club there. My mom used to play tennis and would take me to tennis lessons there when I was 3 years old. When I would walk to the tennis courts, I had to walk past the tee box, and I would just stay there and watch the guys hit the ball. I was the one who told her I wanted to play golf, so she started taking me to lessons, and that’s how it started.”
Do you plan on continuing to play golf after college?
“Absolutely. I am planning to turn pro at the end of the year, obviously to pursue my dreams, and maybe get into the PGA Tour.”
What do you think is the hardest aspect of golf?
“I think you just have to be really humble. Golf is a really mean sport; it can take your confidence down very easily. It’s not like other sports, where every match you play is similar. Obliviously, the opponents are different, but, when you play something like tennis, all the courts are the same. They aren’t very different, maybe the weather, but golf is different. Every week is a different course, and, actually, the same course changes every day because of the pin position. A lot of the best golfers in the world can win one week and then next week miss the cut. So you need to be humble every day in golf because it can really get your confidence down, and it might never come back. You need to have a strong mentality for golf.”
What do you think is the most rewarding part of playing golf?
“I think the most rewarding thing would be getting to know a lot of people from around the world and getting to travel and learn about different cultures. Getting to enjoy the nature, too, since we play outside. It’s relaxing and fun.”
What is your proudest achievement as a golfer?
“I would say getting to come to the U.S. I got the opportunity to come here and get a scholarship, and study my whole career in the U.S. It wasn’t very easy for me to come here since I’m from another country. Not a lot of people have the opportunity to come here, and it was my dream. But I’m here now, and I’m graduating very soon, so I’m very proud of getting this scholarship and coming to the U.S. to start my career.”
How was the transition coming to the U.S. from another country to play golf?
“It was tough in the beginning, obviously, because things are different, like the culture, the food and the people, but it was my dream, and I wanted to live the experience of going to college in America. It was tough because I miss my family and my friends, but I got used to it, and it’s helped me grow a lot, not only as a golf player but also as a person. I love the U.S., but you’re really independent in this country. You do everything for yourself. You don’t have your mom to do laundry or cook. All of the stuff that I didn’t have to do in Colombia, I’ve been doing here for the last five years. It’s helped me be responsible and learn time management.”
Have you had any coaches who have influenced you throughout your golfing career?
“For sure. My coach here Ryan Jamison is a great person and has been a great coach to have. He’s taught me a lot of things throughout my three years here at NSU. I have accomplished a lot of things since I came to NSU, and I could do a lot of those things because he helped me. He’s helped me in a lot of stuff, not only my golf game but also in my school work and in learning responsibility. He’s definitely been a person who has been influential. Also, my golf coach from Colombia was the one to build my swing and a lot of my personality, too. I have a strong mentality to play the game, and that’s why I’m here. He’s one of the people that gave me all of those values.”
Are there any professional athletes who you look up to?
“Yeah, obviously, Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth. All of the young guys. I admire them. They showed me that it’s possible to get there. We’re all humans. They’re not perfect either. We all commit errors, and so it shows me that it’s not impossible to get to that level. You’ve got to work hard, obviously, but I do look up to them, and I admire how they play and how they deal with all of the elements of pro-life; they’re really mature.”
Do you have any goals or expectations set for yourself for this season?
“Absolutely. As you might know, we won Nationals last year, and we’re trying to do that again. We want to win tournaments in the fall as a team, and then win as individuals. Last year, basically every tournament, I was close to winning, but I couldn’t win, so I really want to do that.”
What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
“I enjoying working out, watching TV shows, traveling and getting to know places I haven’t been. Maybe go bowling with the team or play ping pong or go to the pool. I like all of that stuff.”
