Nature vs. Nuture vs. Culture

Sunday morning August 11^th, my black Eddie Bauer travel backpack was loaded in the car, heading to Pinehurst, North Carolina for the 119^th US Amateur, fortunate to be staying with dear friends in the Pinehurst community.  Funny thing, a year ago my black Eddie Bauer travel backpack would have been loaded with work files and hard copies of emails however this Sunday morning it was loaded with Pepperidge Farm Goldfish, Nabisco Fig Newton’s, David’s Original Jumbo Sunflower Seeds, Shaklee 180 Peanut Butter and Chocolate Meal Bars and two Golf magazines!  What a difference a year makes!

Pinehurst Resort and Country Club hosted the US Amateur between August 12^th and August 18^th.  The event was played on Pinehurst #2 and Pinehurst #4 and for the first time in the Amateur’s history, the final thirty-six hole match was played on two courses.  Pinehurst #2 (par 70) stretched 7,414- diabolical yards, while Pinehurst #4 (par 70) played 7,246 yards.  The Co-Finalist’s played nine rounds of golf in seven days, in high humidity with temperatures exceeding 90 degrees, walking an estimated thirty-two miles to determine the eventual Champion.

Facts:

• 7,101 entries were accepted to compete in the 96 Qualification Sites for a 312 player field
• Pinehurst #2’s scoring average was 77.09
• Pinehurst #4’s scoring average was 73.36

We pulled into the Pinehurst Resort and Country Club around 2:00 pm on Sunday afternoon, having coordinated a brief visit in the Clubhouse with Mark Castillo, father and caddie to Ricky Castillo, the 9th ranked* amateur in the world.  Mark was kind enough to share two, week-long passes.  Little did we know that we needed to slink onto the grounds and into the Clubhouse, bypassing security, to secure the two, week-long passes so we could legitimately be on the grounds and in the Clubhouse!

We initially met Mark and Ricky Castillo in July, 2018 at the US Junior Amateur at Baltusrol Golf Club.  The introduction was by sheer happenstance as our intentions were to follow our friend Paul Romano, USGA Rules Official.  Paul was assigned to Ricky’s threesome (see US Junior Amateur; Part Two) on the second day of stroke-play.  Over the past year we have kept in touch with Mark, following Ricky’s amazing accomplishments.

Our visit with Mark was shortly after Ricky’s practice round on Pinehurst #2.  We decided to meet at the trophy display in the main hallway of the Clubhouse, where we exchanged pleasantries and caught up on their day.  As our time was drawing near, Mark said that he would attempt to track down his son to say hello.  Ricky, a tall, handsome, immaculately dressed young man, approached while simultaneously removing his hat in anticipation of a few handshakes.  He was polite, engaging, well-spoken and quick with a smile while maintaining eye contact throughout our time together.  There was a maturity and poise far beyond his eighteen years of age.

We followed Ricky and his Dad on Monday and Tuesday during the stroke-play portion of the event, watching each and every shot.  His demeanor was a healthy combination of passion and laser-like focus.  Ricky played quickly, independently and showed some real grit in countless situations…fun to watch!  His performance on Monday and Tuesday in the stroke-play portion of the event earned him the second seed in the 64 player match-play portion of the event, only one stroke behind the number one seed.

I got to thinking, has Ricky been influenced by nature (his genetic disposition), nurture (his environment) and/or culture (his golfing community).  I am unable to weigh-in on the nature component of the equation however, based on our time watching Mark’s calming influence on his son; nurture has certainly played a significant role in his development.  I can’t help but wonder how culture (coaches, the staff and membership of Alta Vista Country Club**, competing in the 2015 US Amateur at the age of fourteen and playing for the United States in the 2018 Junior Ryder Cup) has enhanced his presence.

Ricky Castillo, from Yorba Linda, CA, is a freshman and a prized recruit for the University of Florida Gators.  If you are interested in following a quality young man with a superb golf game, he is your guy!  I am not typically a betting man however I would be willing to make a small wager that we will be seeing him on the weekends in the years to come.

Some Kind of Golf Shot:

Pinehurst #2, 10^th Hole, 613 Yard, Par Five:  During Thursday afternoon’s Round of 16, Ricky struck a 350 yard drive that rolled into the left waste bunker on the dogleg left 10^th hole. Ricky, 261 yards from the pin, followed his drive with a super high “cut” three-wood, out of the sand, over a mature tree line, landing the ball softly, six-feet from the pin.  Mark mentioned that Ricky had to take 15 yards off of the shot as he typically hits his three-wood 275 yards!

*After the US Amateur, Ricky’s world amateur ranking improved from 9^th to 5^th.

**In a 2018 interview with Ricky and Mark, Mark commented that Alta Vista Country Club in Placentia, CA has adopted Ricky, allowing him to practice and play at their facility.

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The back nine can only get better!