“Golf is a game of emotions. If you can’t control your emotions, you can’t play golf,” said golf legend Ben Hogan. Guilford senior Savio Nazareth can obviously control his emotions; this summer he played golf in the U.S. Amateur Championship. By qualifying for this tournament, Nazareth distinguished himself as one of the premiere amateur golfers in the country.

The four-day tournament was held at Oakland Hills Country Club in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.

“It was a great experience,” said Nazareth. “I was out there with the best [amateur] golfers in the country.” Nazareth, who has been playing golf since the age of nine, truly earned that honor.

Unfortunately, Nazareth cracked the face of his driver on the second day of the tournament.

“It was tough playing without my driver,” said Nazareth. “There were some long holes.”

Yes there were.

Nazareth played a 616 yard par-5 and a 478 yard par-4 without a driver. That is like trying to fight Lennox Lewis with one arm tied behind your back.

Without his driver he did not score low enough to make it past the second-round elimination.

Only the top four golfers from each regional qualifying round make it to the U.S. Amateur Championship. Nazareth was one of them, earning the final spot on the third hole of a sudden-death playoff.

Last spring, Nazareth led the Quakers to their first Division III golf championship. Nazareth finished in 18th place overall with a score of 18-over par after four rounds.

Unfortunately, Nazareth is no longer eligible to play collegiate golf, but that doesn’t mean we won’t be hearing from him again. He plans to work on his game this year and qualify for the PGA tour next year.

With any luck, his driver won’t break.