Up Close With Women's Golfer Christina Cantu
12/6/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Golf
Q&A with Christina Cantú
1. How did you get involved in the game of golf?
Almost all the credit goes to my brother. My brother and I have always been really close. When I was little, I wanted to be just like him and he played golf. I was dragged to all of his tournaments, since he's seven years older than me, so I decided that I might as well play golf. Of course, I also wanted to beat him. I began playing and fell in love.
2. Why did you choose Seton Hall?
I chose Seton Hall because it is a small Catholic university. I had always attended a small school and couldn't imagine being at a large school with large classes and a large campus. I loved the atmosphere of the campus when I came here on my visit, so decided it was the best fit for me.
3. What challenges have you had to overcome on the golf course?
Besides the usual mechanical problems that everyone seems to be constantly trying to fix, I've really struggled with my mental game and course management. I always try to forget about the last hole that I played and move on to the next one. It took me forever to show myself how to forget and move on. I also found myself bringing my problems onto the golf course instead of compartmentalizing. Now, since I've worked hard at overcoming those obstacles, I am currently working on improving my course management.
4. What was your favorite experience from the fall season here at Seton Hall?
I can't say I had one favorite experience, but rather I had one thing every day: our jam sessions in the van on the way back from the golf course. They were epic. We made CDs or listened to the radio at full blast (or as much as coach let us) and all sang along. It was great and can't wait for our jam sessions in the spring!
5. What is the greatest lesson that you have learned from the game of golf?
Forgive and forget. I had to forgive myself for having a bad hole, forget about it and move on. Similarly, its helped me to not be mad at people for what they have done, but forgive them and forget the past, live in the present, and look forward to the future.
6. What accomplishment in your golf career are you most proud of?
Shooting 73-72 at the Baylor Invitational when we had 13 inches of rain during the tournament. Shooting a 69 at Horseshoe Bay - Apple Rock Golf Course, which is one of the hardest golf courses in Texas.
7. In your free time, what do you enjoy doing besides spending time at the golf course?
Photography, baking (cupcakes, brownies, cakes), listening to music and discovering new types of music, rock climbing, swimming
8. If you weren't on the golf team here, what other sports team would you most likely be interest in being on and why?
Swim team. Swimming was probably the last sport that I did before devoting myself completely to golf. I love the atmosphere that the swim team has and love the guys and girls on the team.
9. What is your major and why did you choose to study that? Do you have educational aspirations beyond your undergraduate at Seton Hall?
I am majoring in Marketing with a double minor in Graphic Design and Writing. I chose to study marketing because it interested me and I figured it would help me with anything I choose to do in the future. Graphic designing kind of came with the major, although you can ask anyone from back home and they can tell you that I love designing things. The writing minor was what surprised me the most, but I realized that I love to write thanks to a few people. Once out of college, if I don't decide to go pro, I'd like to become a veterinarian.
