TCS Golfers Pursue International Success

Pablo Valencia, 11th grader from The Columbus School, has played golf since he was 4 years old and has competed in some of the most important junior tournaments of Latin America and the world. Throughout his career he played and won many prestigious tournaments, yet despite his success, he doesn’t want to become professional.

Columbus School 11th grader Sebastian Arteaga has played golf since he was young and has always enjoyed competing. Sebastian used to play in national and international tournaments, but is participating in fewer events becuase of academic problems. 

“There’s a difference between Pablo and I, because he is ranked as one of the best in Colombia and I am not even ranked, the school gives him more benefits like free block, while the only benefit to me is that when I miss school, I have an excuse,” Sebastian Arteaga, 11th grader student.

Valencia started his sporting life in soccer but he wasn’t very talented, so his mother signed him up for golf classes. As a rookie he started winning tournaments and as he became better got more serious about his game. He was invited to his first golf tournament at the age of 11 and got second place.

His coach and family realized Pablo had talent and with time his performance  gradually improved and he started climbing up the rankings. One benefit of being a nationally ranked player was that he began to attract sponsors who provided him with clothing, clubs and other equiptment. He was also featured in some of the country’s most important newspapers and magazines. He was the best golf player in his category in Antioquia and the second in Colombia. The biggest problems he faced were his personal life and school.

Once he missed more than half of the year for tournaments and some classes didn´t excuse him for late work. He enjoyed to hanging out with his friends so it was really difficult to sleep at 3:00 a.m. and wake up at 6:00 a.m for a tournament, first this wasn’t a problem but as time passed his level declined.

Arteaga has not appeared in magazines, or newspapers, but that doesn’t mean he is not a high performance athlete. He started his career after Pablo and didn’t put the same effort as him like until he was 13 years old, when he realized he could be better and golf could bring benefits in the school, and in his future, he started training everyday non-stop.

When he was 14 they invited him to his first international tournament in L.A. and the experts liked his performance so they invited him a month later to Las Vegas. That was the moment he realized he was on a good path encouraging him to work harder and winning national tournaments. Last year the school changed their policy about high performance athletes and gave excused absences to athletes that represent the school, state or country, so school issues became lighter.

“I know Arteaga since K4 and we became friends immediately, his career in the sport is really successful for the years he have trained, and have reached a lot of things that normal people don’t achieve, I wish him the best,” Pablo Valencia, 11th grade student.

Pablo’s current level isn’t as good as when he was at his peak but still he is way above average. Because of the decrease in his performance, his chances of becoming professional have also decreased. His mother won’t let him chase this dream because he needs to finish school and study in a good university. Catalina Velez, Valencia’s mother, feels that with his abilities he can achieve a excellent scholarship abroad.

“For me Pablo is the best player in the world, but that doesn’t means he is going to forget about education. He is not as good now, that’s why I think he should aim for a good scholarship instead of being professional,” Velez, said.

Arteaga´s goal is not the same as Valencia´s, he never wanted to be a professional, instead his goal was to always perform the best he could. Currently he doesn’t have problems with his personal life or with school, can train everyday and participate in important tournaments. His grades are really good and he’s efficiency in the sport is the same, that’s why he is starting to search for scholarships in Colombia and United States.

Currently he doesn’t have problems with his personal life or with school, that’s why he can train everyday if he wants and go to important tournaments. He is doing well in school and his personal life is tranquil so he can train and compete in tounaments.

Both of them have succeeded in their careers in different ways, have a really good relationship, and are aiming for golf scholarship in the United States.

“I admire him as a person and as player, they are not a lot of people that play like him in the world, it´s a shame he didn’t became a professional player,” Arteaga, said.