Q&A with Chris Casey
April 25, 2019 | Men's Golf, Features
The UC Irvine men's golf team wrapped up their final regular-season tournament and will now prepare for the Big West Championships next week. Junior Chris Casey had a strong finish in his last outing at the Western Intercollegiate in Santa Cruz including a team-best five birdies on day two. He also had his best finish at the Anteater Invitational earlier this season.
Casey is a New York native and is in his first year at UC Irvine after transferring from Orange Coast College. We caught up with him to discuss his journey to UCI, the differences between living on both coasts, and much more.
Q: At what age and how did you start playing golf? What drove you to pursue the sport at the next level?
A: I started playing golf at age 5 after my mom had my birthday party at a mini golf course. I started competing in tournaments when I was 7 and I loved the competition and knew from that time that I wanted to play competitively. Luckily, I got the chance to fulfill my dream of playing Division I golf here at UCI.
Q: Talk about your journey to UC Irvine. How did you find your way to Orange Coast College and what influenced your decision to continue your career at UCI?
A: In my senior year of high school, I was working with Ted Gleason from Road To College Golf, and he helped introduce me to several golf coaches. After visiting several schools on the east coast, I had some opportunities to play at Division II schools. Going into college, I wanted to play Division I golf at a great school and at that time, my game was not in the place to be competing at that level. Ted suggested that I play for OCC for two years to develop my game while getting all of my GE classes out of the way. After he introduced me to my coach there, Sean Collins, I felt that gave me the best opportunity to advance my game to where it needed to be to play Division I golf. After hurting my back in my second year at OCC, I decided to redshirt that year to get healthy to play well in my second year of competition. Just before I started my second year of competition, I was introduced to Coach Smolinski by my coach at OCC. I knew I wanted to stay in Orange County for school and I wanted a school with strong academics, so I put all of my effort into getting into UCI and proving to Coach Smolinski that I was worthy of a spot on the team. Thankfully that worked out; this year has been awesome and hopefully we can go out and pull off a win at conference again.
Q: When you are not golfing what other sports or hobbies do you enjoy?
A: I have played the guitar since I was around 11 years old, so I like to do that in my free time when I am not playing golf or doing homework. I am also a diehard Yankees fan and hoping we can get #28 this year.
Q: What are some of the biggest differences you have noticed from living in Orange County as opposed to New York?
A: The people in Orange County compared to New York are complete opposites. I love it here in California because the people are a little more relaxed, which fits my style. As far as the food goes, it's better in New York. You have so many options for every meal and it's all a two minute walk away. I do love both places equally, though.
Q: If you could play a round of golf with any three people who would it be and why?
A: If I could play a round of golf with any three people, I'd play with Tiger Woods, Dustin Johnson, and Ben Hogan. Tiger has been my golf idol since I started playing the game and I think he is the greatest to ever play golf. The way he has dominated the sport will never be done again. Dustin Johnson is my second favorite golfer after Tiger and the thing I love about his game is his ability to stay calm in the most pressure-packed situations. I would love to play with Ben Hogan too because I think he had one of the greatest minds in golf, his ability to beat the field by playing smart was probably the best ever.
Q: What are your goals and career aspirations after graduation?
A: I've always wanted to play professional golf. I plan on turning professional after the summer of my senior year and hopefully I can play well enough to make my way onto the Web.com tour and PGA Tour.
Q: Before your time here, did you have any influential coaches that helped shape you into the person you are today?
A: I have had a few coaches that have really shaped the person I am today. I have worked with Eddie Merrins from Bel-Air Country Club since I was around 7 years old. Working with Eddie has shaped my mental game into what it is today. He has helped me become a more patient and driven person on and off the golf course.
Q: What has been your greatest moment in golf so far?
A: My greatest moment in golf so far was playing the Western Intercollegiate this year at Pasatiempo. I was so excited to play a course with so much history and testing my game against some of the best players in the country. Even though I struggled a little bit, I had a great time and Pasatiempo is now one of my favorite golf courses I have ever played.
Q: How do you remain calm during high-pressure situations on the course and what is your thought process like during these moments?
A: Something I've worked on a lot over the past year is staying calm in high-pressure situations and learning to stay calm when I am playing well. The things that I focus on in these situations are slowing down my breathing and taking deep breaths. I also to try focus on each shot and taking in as much info as I can about each shot so I am fully focused and not letting my mind wander to what I could shoot that day. The goal is to play each shot the best I can and the reward is the score at the end of the day.
Casey is a New York native and is in his first year at UC Irvine after transferring from Orange Coast College. We caught up with him to discuss his journey to UCI, the differences between living on both coasts, and much more.
Q: At what age and how did you start playing golf? What drove you to pursue the sport at the next level?
A: I started playing golf at age 5 after my mom had my birthday party at a mini golf course. I started competing in tournaments when I was 7 and I loved the competition and knew from that time that I wanted to play competitively. Luckily, I got the chance to fulfill my dream of playing Division I golf here at UCI.
Q: Talk about your journey to UC Irvine. How did you find your way to Orange Coast College and what influenced your decision to continue your career at UCI?
A: In my senior year of high school, I was working with Ted Gleason from Road To College Golf, and he helped introduce me to several golf coaches. After visiting several schools on the east coast, I had some opportunities to play at Division II schools. Going into college, I wanted to play Division I golf at a great school and at that time, my game was not in the place to be competing at that level. Ted suggested that I play for OCC for two years to develop my game while getting all of my GE classes out of the way. After he introduced me to my coach there, Sean Collins, I felt that gave me the best opportunity to advance my game to where it needed to be to play Division I golf. After hurting my back in my second year at OCC, I decided to redshirt that year to get healthy to play well in my second year of competition. Just before I started my second year of competition, I was introduced to Coach Smolinski by my coach at OCC. I knew I wanted to stay in Orange County for school and I wanted a school with strong academics, so I put all of my effort into getting into UCI and proving to Coach Smolinski that I was worthy of a spot on the team. Thankfully that worked out; this year has been awesome and hopefully we can go out and pull off a win at conference again.
Q: When you are not golfing what other sports or hobbies do you enjoy?
A: I have played the guitar since I was around 11 years old, so I like to do that in my free time when I am not playing golf or doing homework. I am also a diehard Yankees fan and hoping we can get #28 this year.
Q: What are some of the biggest differences you have noticed from living in Orange County as opposed to New York?
A: The people in Orange County compared to New York are complete opposites. I love it here in California because the people are a little more relaxed, which fits my style. As far as the food goes, it's better in New York. You have so many options for every meal and it's all a two minute walk away. I do love both places equally, though.
Q: If you could play a round of golf with any three people who would it be and why?
A: If I could play a round of golf with any three people, I'd play with Tiger Woods, Dustin Johnson, and Ben Hogan. Tiger has been my golf idol since I started playing the game and I think he is the greatest to ever play golf. The way he has dominated the sport will never be done again. Dustin Johnson is my second favorite golfer after Tiger and the thing I love about his game is his ability to stay calm in the most pressure-packed situations. I would love to play with Ben Hogan too because I think he had one of the greatest minds in golf, his ability to beat the field by playing smart was probably the best ever.
Q: What are your goals and career aspirations after graduation?
A: I've always wanted to play professional golf. I plan on turning professional after the summer of my senior year and hopefully I can play well enough to make my way onto the Web.com tour and PGA Tour.
Q: Before your time here, did you have any influential coaches that helped shape you into the person you are today?
A: I have had a few coaches that have really shaped the person I am today. I have worked with Eddie Merrins from Bel-Air Country Club since I was around 7 years old. Working with Eddie has shaped my mental game into what it is today. He has helped me become a more patient and driven person on and off the golf course.
Q: What has been your greatest moment in golf so far?
A: My greatest moment in golf so far was playing the Western Intercollegiate this year at Pasatiempo. I was so excited to play a course with so much history and testing my game against some of the best players in the country. Even though I struggled a little bit, I had a great time and Pasatiempo is now one of my favorite golf courses I have ever played.
Q: How do you remain calm during high-pressure situations on the course and what is your thought process like during these moments?
A: Something I've worked on a lot over the past year is staying calm in high-pressure situations and learning to stay calm when I am playing well. The things that I focus on in these situations are slowing down my breathing and taking deep breaths. I also to try focus on each shot and taking in as much info as I can about each shot so I am fully focused and not letting my mind wander to what I could shoot that day. The goal is to play each shot the best I can and the reward is the score at the end of the day.
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