When Carlos Astiazaran ’27 was three years old, his father provided him with a tool that would instill his passion for golf—his first golf club.

“Golf has always been my sport,” Astiazaran said. “I just picked it up and have loved the sport ever since.”

Astiazaran, a freshman and one of nine members of University of the Pacific’s men’s golf team, is ready to get his first spring season rolling.

“As a team, we’re excited for the spring,” Astiazaran said. “I think it’s going to be a good year for us.”

Astiazaran, who is from Tucson, Arizona, has always played competitively, facing some of the most talented golfers in the country from a young age. In high school, he was named a four-time First-Team All-State honoree, according to AZPreps, and was named the 2022 Junior Golf Association of Arizona Tucson City Junior Champion.

Choosing Pacific was a natural choice after assistant coach Andy Moren demonstrated interest in his talents during his junior year at Salpointe Catholic High School.

“I was fortunate to have Coach Moren come out and watch me play during my recruiting year,” Astiazaran said. “He enjoyed the way I played. As I grew in my senior year, they still showed interest. I trusted the coaches because they saw something in me that nobody else did. That helped me make the decision to choose University of the Pacific to play golf.”

In his first taste of college golf during the fall, Astiazaran competed in all four tournaments, averaging a team-best 70.9 across 12 rounds while earning his best finish at the Nick Watney Invitational (tied for 6th).

“My strength is that I’ve always been able to keep the ball in play. I’m a straight hitter,” Astiazaran said. “I don’t miss many fairways or greens, so my full swing is one of my strengths. Where I need to improve is staying mentally locked in throughout the full 36-hole days and handling my emotions better.”

Pacific head coach John Cook says Astiazaran’s passion and positive mindset have fueled the Tigers beyond their expectations.

“Carlos brings a lot of energy to the team,” Cook said. “He’s always upbeat and has an extremely positive attitude. He had a few learning curves this fall as a freshman, but we are excited to watch him continue to improve and grow with each tournament this spring.”

The Tigers will play seven tournaments, teeing off Thursday, Feb. 8 in the Amer Ari Invitational, which Astiazaran has circled on his calendar.

“It’s got to be the opener in Hawaii,” Astiazaran said. “Starting the spring off on the right foot would be awesome. We’re playing the strongest field all season in that event. It’s the one I’m looking forward to the most.”

After the Amer Ari Invitational, the team will stay along the West Coast, traveling outside of California only twice—for the Grand Canyon Invitational in Phoenix, Arizona, March 12-13 and the West Coast Conference Championships in Bremerton, Washington, April 26-28.

“We are looking forward to getting the spring season started,” Cook said. “The team has been working hard on their games this offseason. We have a tremendous opportunity to play against some of the best teams in the country.”