Coming out of high school, Austin Greaser wasn’t thought to be the next golf prodigy like Tiger Woods, but there was still something that caught UNC head coach Andrew DiBitetto's eye.
For a men's golf program that was looking for improvements from its previous campaigns, DiBitetto believed Greaser's relentless work ethic would fit right in with the new culture.
The rest — as they say — is history.
On Aug. 15, Greaser made national headlines with his second-place finish at the U.S. Amateur Open at the renowned Oakmont Country Club in Pennsylvania.
Greaser came into the tournament as an underdog, receiving the No. 24 seed, but it was not unfamiliar territory for the Vandalia, Ohio, native.
“He was not a highly ranked player when we first started recruiting him,” DiBitetto said. “I'm pretty sure when we started recruiting him, the only offer that he had was from Cincinnati.”
Although he wasn’t the most highly sought-after prospect coming into UNC, it didn’t take long for Greaser to get acclimated to Chapel Hill. In his first year of collegiate competition, he started all eight events and posted the third-lowest scoring average for the Tar Heels at 72.08, along with finishing second at his first tournament.
“He’s been trending in the right direction for a long time,” teammate Ryan Gerard said. “As soon as he got here, he worked extremely hard and he hasn’t stopped the grind. He comes out with a plan every day and he’s very motivated and focused.”
Greaser's grit is needed to achieve greatness in golf. Hard work and focus are key while navigating the fairways and greens, and luckily, he has the intangibles needed to succeed.