Local amateur golfer Jonathan Garrick sets sights on pro career

Jonathan Garrick, now a student-athlete at UCLA, grew up in Atherton, attending Oak Knoll and Hillview Schools before heading to St. Francis for high school. We caught up with him between rounds of golf.

InMenlo: How long have you been playing golf?

Jonathan: I’ve been picking up a club since I could walk and playing competively since I was eight.

InMenlo: Were you a multi-sport guy who selected golf?

Jonathan: I was multi-sport until I started high school when competitive golf became a year-round deal. I figured golf would get me to college and hopefully a career beyond.

InMenlo: What went into your decision to attend UCLA?

Jonathan: I always wanted to go there. I didn’t have one specific reason why. Great golf school. Great campus. Great academics. Top 25 school.

InMenlo: How do you prepare for a tournament?

Jonathan: It depends. I’ve tried different things over the years. Recently, I practice my short game a lot. I also try to sleep as much as possible. My goal is to complete my preparation before I travel so that when I’m at the tournament site, I can just rest.

My emphasis is on storing energy, so that I don’t run out of steam. At a many tournaments we play 36 holes in one day.

InMenlo: What is your favorite golf course?

Jonathan: Cypress Point in Pebble Beach. It’s one of the most prestigious courses in the world. I was fortuante enough to play there at a college event. It’s was really cool experience.

InMenlo: What’s your proudest golf moment so far?

Jonathan: Making it to the Sweet Sixteen in the Western Amateur Championship this summer at The Alotian Club [Roland, AR]. It starts out with 156 amateurs who are invited to play and it gets down to 16 players.

There is a lot of history to being part of that group. A lot of famous names. It was encouraging to see my name on that list.

Photos: UCLA Athletics