Turning college golfers into professionals isn’t luck at Texas — it’s the result of a culture built to help them imagine their potential.
The support Texas provides to its golfers is a testament to the strength of the program, and the results reflect that.
Golf is characterized by quiet intensity, with every shot demanding focus and patience. Even though golf is a team sport in college, much of the game is still played individually, putting a ton of pressure on the athlete. But at Texas, that pressure is balanced by a supportive culture where coaches and teammates offer guidance and encouragement.
“Everyone on the team is really close,” sophomore Daniel Bennett said. “Everyone is willing to share what they know and feed off each other.”
Dylan Frittelli, a member of the 2012 National Championship team, credits the camaraderie his teammates had as the reason they were so successful.
“The obvious fact is that we had five really good players on that national championship team,” Frittelli said. “(Jordan) Spieth always talked about how I pushed him, and he pushed me.”
That sense of closeness between teammates reflects the culture head coach John Fields has cultivated. For almost three decades, he has pushed his players to succeed on the course in their technical skills, but also off the course, in the locker room.
“He will do anything for his players,” Frittelli said. “He made me successful just by being a support and a person I could lean on.”
Fields’ impact goes far beyond just giving out pointers on backswings. He invests in his players personally, before their careers at Texas and after. He has made it a point to keep in touch with players after they leave the program, keeping up with their progress in tournaments. The confidence he instills in his players at the collegiate level extends to their careers in professional tournaments.
The mentorship he brings to Texas translates directly to his success at the professional level. Players leave the program with refined skills, mental toughness and the discipline required to compete in tournaments on both the Korn Ferry and PGA Tour.
Cole Hammer, Texas alumnus and the 2021 individual Big 12 Champion, credits Fields for inspiring a drive that he carries with him on the grueling Korn Ferry Tour schedule.
“Coach Fields pushed all of us on a daily basis in the best way possible,” Hammer said. “He truly wanted us to find the best in ourselves.”
Scottie Scheffler spent four years playing for Fields, starting in 2014, gaining valuable experience as a collegiate golfer. After graduation, he went on to win Korn Ferry Tour Player of the Year and has spent an impressive 127 weeks in a row at number one in the official world golf rankings.
Throughout all this success, Scheffler still returns to Texas, offering mentorship and guidance to these young golfers. Fields ensures that while golfers might leave Texas, they will always be Longhorns at heart.
Texas golfers never go without encouragement, even after leaving the program. Longhorn fans continue to cheer on both current players and alumni, celebrating their victories at every hole.
“In America, it’s great,” Frittelli said. “(There are) so many Longhorn fans around the country. At tournaments, the Hook’ em gets thrown up at least every day.”
That lasting connection between coach, player and fans shows that Texas men’s golf is about more than individual talent or tournament wins. It’s a program built on mentorship and unwavering belief in its athletes.