By SEAN MARTIN
Assistant EditorORLANDO, Fla. – Ten years ago, Santiago Cavanagh left his family’s farm in Argentina for a small Tennessee town with hopes of making it to the PGA Tour.
He finally realized his goal, playing the past two weeks in the middle of the Florida Swing. Cavanagh is no longer in full-time pursuit of that pro golf career, though. He’s replaced that vocation – one that necessitates a certain degree of selfishness – with something that has a greater impact.
Cavanagh, 28, is the lead instructor at The First Tee of St. Johns County in northeastern Florida, teaching about 250 kids each week.
“It’s very rewarding,” Cavanagh said. “There’s a bunch of kids, I would bet, thanks to golf and thanks to The First Tee, their lives are going to change for good. They’re learning things that sadly they are not getting at home.
“I think this will ... help them realize their dreams can come true. If their coach can play with Tiger, they can do it too.”
Cavanagh earned berths in the PODS Championship and Arnold Palmer Invitational thanks to victories in last year’s North Florida PGA Championship and NFPGA Assistants Championship.
Jay Jennison, director of The First Tee of St. Johns County, said Cavanagh is like “the pied piper” among his students. They become intrigued when they first hear his accent, then are drawn by his energy and charisma.
“They hang on his every word,” Jennison said.
Cavanagh has an interesting story to tell. He grew up in Coronel Suarez, Argentina, a town of about 30,000 people four hours outside Buenos Aires. His family grew crops like wheat, soy beans and sunflowers on their 5,000-acre farm. Cavanagh would hit balls on the family’s land, or shag for his father, Carlos, an accomplished amateur player. He rode his bike to Coronel Suarez Polo Club, where his family had a membership, every day to play golf.
His dream was always to play golf and get an education in the United States. He went to City Hall – the one place in town that had Internet access – to look at schools. Somehow he came across a list of NCAA Division II universities and started mailing off letters. He chose Lincoln Memorial University in Harrogate, Tenn., because of its small-town atmosphere.
“My parents thought I was crazy,” Cavanagh said. “I barely spoke English. I don’t know how they let me do it. If it was my kid, I wouldn’t let them go that far away, ... but it was my dream.”
He won seven tournaments at Lincoln Memorial before graduating in 2002 with a degree in business administration. Cavanagh started as an assistant pro at Ridgeway Country Club in Memphis, Tenn., and became the head pro at the World Golf Village in St. Augustine, Fla., before playing the Hooters and Tarheel tours in 2006.
He still has PGA Tour aspirations, and said he plans on entering Q-School later this year, especially after these past two weeks. He met Arnold Palmer, and chipped and putted alongside Tiger Woods; Cavanagh’s brother, Ignacio, flew from Argentina to caddie for him. Those experiences overshadow the fact that a balky putter led to two missed cuts.
“What didn’t stand out?” Cavanagh said. “They can’t believe it, the people in my town. My mom has gotten e-mails saying, ‘I can’t believe your son is out there playing with those guys.’ It’s a pretty big deal.”
Despite a taste of the Tour, Cavanagh was excited to return to his day job.
“It’s not hard for me to go to my job,” he said. “It’s rewarding and fun. I love golf, anything related to golf. If I see people enjoying it and making a difference, it’s fun.”
• • •
Sean Martin is a Golfweek assistant editor. To reach him e-mail smartin@golfweek.com.
Posted: 3/18/2008
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