Golf is a sport that requires natural athletic ability, patience and a good attitude. The Utes’ lone senior golfer, Chance Cota, has all three. He chilled in the shadows of Chris Gresh and Dustin Pimm his first three years at the U, but has seized his opportunity to lead the team for his final run.
Armed with aspirations beyond college golf, this has become the season of the California kid.
Cota’s demeanor on the golf course is the stereotypical California surfer attitude: laid back. Whether he’s 5-under or 8-over par his expression never changes8212;which is something every golfer could practice a little more. He adopted that attitude from his days of hitting the waves in California where he enjoyed surfing with his buddies. His attitude matches his swing, which is as smooth and buttery as the peeling Pacific wave set.
Cota really started taking golf seriously at Scripps Ranch High School in San Diego, Calif. Growing up, he aspired to be a baseball player but blew his shoulder out as a freshman. It seems he was destined to be a great golfer from that point on. As a junior in high school, he realized he had a talent, so he and his dad began traveling the country.
“I played a lot of tournaments, ended up playing well and fell in love with it,” Cota said.
As a junior golfer, Cota has an extensive list of achievements. His most memorable was representing America in the Euro Cup, which featured Canada and Scotland in match-play format. This tournament was hosted by Scotland at St. Andrews Golf Club, one of the oldest courses in the world with more than 100 years of history. At first, Cota was unsure of how old he was when he played there, but soon remembered because of one specific detail.
“It was my senior year so I had to be 17 or 18 years old, I’d say 18 because I was old enough to drink at the pubs,” Cota said. “All the pubs that I went to were ones that all the tour players go, it was cool.”
Cota received his inspiration from his high school coach, Bob Oliver, with whom he had the best times on the golf course. He would push Cota into playing competitive golf against great players, ultimately making him better. Oliver was a former player on the PGA Tour and was great friends with Lee Trevino and Jack Nicklaus, whom Cota was thrilled to have met in high school.
Other than the Euro Cup, Cota won three events on the International Junior Golf Tour as a senior in high school. The event he won at La Costa Golf Club was the one that earned him a scholarship to play for the Utes.
Cota has come a long way from a shaky little freshman to captain of the team. He’s also matured into kind of a second assistant coach. He hasn’t performed up to his standards quite yet, but the game’s there. Cota just needs to put it all together at the right time.
“My game right now is the best it’s ever been, I just need to compete in tournaments,” Cota said. “I’m playing really well in Utah right now, it’s just that I’m struggling in tournaments.”
The team members can’t say enough about what he does for them, and they are grateful to have him. He has the most experience on the team by far and is always up for helping out his teammates. On the course at Wingpoint, Cota was eager to help sophomore teammate Jeff Kitches with his swing. They would discuss swing paths and putting strokes as if Cota was Kitches’ swing coach.
“He’s a legit kid that is always there for you,” Kitches said. “He knows his (stuff).”
After college, Cota wants to follow the same path as Gresh and Pimm by turning pro. Before he does that, he would like to compete in the U.S. Amateur, the most sought out tournament championship for an amateur golfer. If he tries and fails, he’s still going to turn pro and try his luck on the various tours around the country.
“He’s a good golfer, he has a lot of potential,” Gresh said. “He should be able to do some good stuff for the rest of the year, in the spring and when he turns pro.”
The practice round at Wingpoint late Tuesday afternoon started birdie, birdie, birdie for Cota. He hits iron shots to within 10 feet on almost every shot, from any distance. On Utah’s greens it seems that he can make every putt. “Putting on Utah greens is so easy compared to what we play on in tournaments,” Cota said. It would be a shame to not see him play this year in the Utes’ only tournament in Utah at the Cougar Classic in Provo.
Over the summer, Cota will travel to the West, playing in various tournaments. He has become friends with Utah’s best young amateurs who play on an eight-man team that is absolutely dominant. Cota doesn’t know if he will stay in Utah after he graduates, but8212;he will most likely go wherever golf takes him. One thing is for sure, wherever he goes, he will bring his smooth swing and his Cali attitude with him8212;ensuring the fact that good golf will follow.