With a playoff win at the U.S. Mid-Amateur last September, USC men's golf alum Stewart Hagestad cemented a trip to Augusta, GA to compete in a tradition unlike any other: the Masters Golf Tournament.
In his time at USC, Hagestad rarely started for the golf team. During his senior year he was a reliable reserve, often used if a starter was injured or in a slump. He spent his undergraduate years pursuing a finance degree from the Marshall School of Business, and is now working for Oak Tree Residential, a real estate firm in Manhattan.
So how did Hagestad go from sitting on the bench at USC to securing a spot in the most famous golf tournament in the world?
Since his move to the Big Apple, Hagestad has adopted his own kind of training program. He hits balls on a simulator during the weekdays, plays local courses on the weekends and competes in national amateur tournaments every so often.
Now, Hagestad, whose younger brother, Richard, is a walk-on safety on the USC football team, is preparing for the biggest weekend of his life thus far. In an interview with USA Today, Hagestad reflected on his last visit to Augusta National.
"I got to play it in college, which was obviously a dream come true," said Hagestad. "I was so enamored, but you have to look at it a little differently now. You're in tournament mode."
Although just 25 years old, Hagestad has a great deal of confidence in himself.
"I can keep up with the guys off the tee. If I start rolling in a few putts, I'd like to think I can compete with anybody," Hagestad told USA Today writer Luke Kerr-Dineen.
Every golfer competing in the Masters will participate in a Par 3 competition tomorrow before play begins, and Hagestad will have his father serve as his caddie for the day.
"There isn't any way in the world it wouldn't be my dad," said Hagestad. "He's supported me so much through the years, always been there for me."
The Masters begins on Thursday and continues through Sunday.
