This week: Interview with Philip "Pipo" Reiser

(Pipo on the left playing the World Team Championship in South Africa, two years ago)

Philip Reiser better known as “pipo” is 20 years old and he is originally from Germany. He moved to Lima, Peru when he was 10 years old and has live there ever since. Philip has been all around the world, most of the times playing golf. Right now “pipo” is a sophomore at The University of Tulsa. It looks like he is really happy with the decision he made, lets see what he had to say:

1-What were you looking for in a school?

I was looking for a very balanced school that had a competitive golf team while not leaving studies behind. I also wanted a small school where I could have a more personal relationship with my professors which is always helpful when playing tournaments, since you miss so much school that it is important to make up missed exams and classes and working closely with the professors is key. In terms of golf, I considered many factors. First, the coach is very important since he will be the main person to help me develop as a player and continue improving. There has to be chemistry with the coach and the rest of the team since these are people you are going to be dealing with every day. Weather is a big factor, since not practicing for many months can really hurt your game. The third aspect are facilities and golf courses to practice on. The tournament schedule is also important, since it determines what kind of competition you will be facing.


2-What made you decide where to go?

The University of Tulsa fit my general goal of having an emphasis on both good golf and strong academics. Coach Brogden watched me play and I felt like he knew what he was doing, so when he offered me a scholarship that I felt was a good offer, I didn't hesitate to take it. I also already knew a person on the team, which helped me decide, since coming to a new place not knowing anyone can be difficult in the beginning and knowing someone helps get accomodated tremendously.


3-What are the things you like the most about being a student-athlete?

I like the fact that I can explore my studies without leaving my passion (golf) behind. Studying somewhere else would have meant leaving golf behind and I didn't want to do that so having the opportunity here is a gift. I also enjoy being part of a team, since golf is mostly an individual sport and making it a team sport makes it more fraternal.


4- What are the things you don't like from the college experience?

There are few things I don't like. The biggest is being far away from home, from family and friends, which can at times be difficult.


5-What would you recommend to all of those kids that are starting to look for school? What is your advice?

I would recommend to give school a chance and come study here because it is one of the greatest experiences you can have. You get the chance to do what you love and learn a lot of useful stuff along the way. I also recommend that you get to know the coach and visit the school to get an idea of where you are going to see if it is a good fit.


(In this picture Pipo is on the left, playing a tournament in Brasil, representing his country)

Great Golfweek Article!!

A couple months of ago the golf website golfweek.com had an article that talked about how college players were turning down their schools for a shot at the tough PGA Qualiying-School (The qualifier tournament for the PGA Tour).
They give the example of a couple of players that in the middle of the semester leave their schools and teams for a week or two to pursue their own dreams. Most of the college players end up not qualifying for the PGA, but they do leave their teams with an empty spot. Coaches may complain, but the players argue that it’s a great and necessary experience for the future and is worth leaving school on a second plane for.
How much should coaches complain? Should college players be banned from trying Q-School? What do you think? Add you comments below.
For more information on the article visit:
http://www.golfweek.com/story/baldry-103108

This week: Interview with Benjamin Etchebarne

(Benjamin on the right in a school trip visiting St Andrews)

Benjamin Etchebarne is exactly the type of person this website has been created for. This site is looking to provide advice and information to those players who are almost done with high school and are looking for further education, along with playing golf at a high level.
Benjamin is from Santiago, Chile. He is 17 years old and has a great future ahead. He has played in one South American Junior Championship and many local events. For the past 2 years he has been competing for the top spots in the junior rankings in Chile.
Right now he is a Junior in High-School and it looks like he is looking forward to College and Golf!
Let's see what he had to say to us:

1-What are you looking for in a school?

I will pay attention that the school is division 1, that it has good academics, has the career I’m looking for, is located in a city that I like, not too cold not too hot, and finally the scholarship will be important in making a decision.

2-How will you prepare for college? Anything special?

I will prepare with my professors, taking classes, playing as many tournaments as I can, and trying to include golf and work outs in my daily routine.

3- What comes to mind for you when you think about college golf?

A unique opportunity, where for sure I will take with me a great experience, an opportunity to get a degree, and the opportunity to meet new people through each tournament.

4-What would you like to experiment in college? What attracts you the most about this new experience?

What attracts me the most is to be able to play golf and at the same time get an academic degree without leaving one on a side. The possibility to give a 100% on both. I would like to see my golf game getting better. I also believe that living by myself will help me mature and become more independent.

This week: Interview with Felipe Aguilar

Felipe Andres Aguilar Schuler, 33, was born in Valdivia, Chile, and graduated from the University of North Florida with a degree in International Business. He was "All America" his junior year at North Florida.
Felipe turned pro in 1999. He has won over 30 professional tournaments in Chile. Felipe is having his most successful year in 2008. He won the Indonesian Open earlier this year, he also won the Chilean Open and has earn €676,182in the European Tour.
He is ranked number 125th in the world, and 41st in the Order of Merit in the European Tour.

1- Are you happy with the decision you made about college?

Yes, I think is a process that every person has to go through with. It gave me the possibility to play golf and get a college degree.

2-What was the thing that you like the most about College?

When you practice and travel with your team, you create a family away from home, especially for us that we are far away from our direct families.

3-What World you recommend to all those new players that in the future would like to be professional golfers?

Since golf is a really long career, I think that is important to go through each step, golf players need to go through the same steps as a normal person, finish high-school and the college.

4- How did you prepare for College?

I finished high-school in the United States with the idea of pursuing a collage career with a golf scholarship, I was lucky enough to succeed. It was my dream that I had since I was a little boy, I always felt that being over there (in the States) it was to get something that I always wanted.

5- Is there anything that you would change from that experience?

No, I liked every step I made, and the steps that I didn’t like they made me realize what were the things that I don’t like, and to be aware of what not to do to make that bad experience come back. All the positive and negative things that made me grow as a person and also as a golfer.

My Story

I'm Nicolas Geyger from Santiago, Chile. I'm 22 years old and I was raised in a family where sport is important. Growing up I played soccer and rugby, always combined with a little bit of Golf. Every summer my brother would have to push me to go to the golf course after many summers and the reality that I could easily get lost in a scrum golf became the sport in my life.

After three years of college, I have realized that continuing my education has been the smartest decision I ever made. This is why today I’m promoting and telling everybody that college is an excellent option. College is a way to earn a degree and a great education. College is the way to grow and mature. College is the way to realize and find yourself. College is the way to find new friends. College is the way to get you a job, and for some people college is a Path to the PGA!

This is a website that promotes College, promotes Golf and promotes a way of living.
You will be able to find interviews of different golf players, pictures, and videos that help prove this point.