Guadalajara Native Eduardo Castiello Adds Diversity to OU Golf Team

University of Oklahoma golfer Eduardo Castiello was born and raised in Guadalajara, Mexico where, unlike countries such as Ireland or the U.S., few pursue a future in golf.

Eduardo Castiello hits the golf course with a more dressy casual
look than his fellow Sooner teammates. The look is a reflection
on his Guadalajara style. PHOTO: Joseph Truesdell

Three Big 12 teams, Oklahoma State, Texas, and Texas A&M, are currently ranked in the nation’s top 10. No. 1 OSU’s roster includes two Germans and one native of Denmark while no. 6 Texas has three international born players coming from Finland, South Africa and Venezuela. Texas A&M, on the other hand, has no players from outside the U.S.

In the past four years international competitors have dominated the PGA tour. From 2008-2011, of the 16 major golf tournaments, international players have won 11. Three from South Africa, three from Northen Ireland, two from the Republic of Ireland, and one each from Germany, South Korea and Argentina.

OU men’s golf head coach Ryan Hybl mentioned that the international success in pro golf has influenced the way college coaches recruit in the U.S.

“What we see in pro golf, the success by international guys, does influence the way coaches recruit,” Hybl said, “you want to win no matter where you are and you’re going to get the best players to do that.”

The OU women’s team has four international golfers spanning from Thailand, Australia and two from Canada.

Eduardo Castiello began playing soccer at age seven and it wasn’t until four years later that he picked up golf as a hobby.

“I played soccer all my life, when I was 11 I just started playing golf as a hobby with my parents in the summer and I really liked it so I just kept playing,” Castiello said.

Castiello continued to play for fun, but began to realize his potential in golf

“I was pretty good at it so I just kept playing and I was getting better and I was excited about it.”

Eduardo, known by his OU coach and teammates as Eddie, wasn’t highly recruited by colleges and universities in the U.S. but wasn’t bothered because he knew OU was the right place.

“I got a couple of letters from San Antonio University and New Orleans, but after OU I just stopped looking at schools because I knew this was the one.”

The players and coaches all agree that Castiello is as good for the team as the team is for him.

“Everybody loves Eddie. He’s happy go lucky and really funny,” teammate and future roommate Ben Klaus said.

Other than his attitude and his attributes on the course, coach Hybl says Castiello will help them down the road.

“He has helped us get in touch with some other guys in Mexico and I think it will help more down the road,” Hybl said.

Though his teammates enjoy having Eddie on the team, they do notice little differences in things such as his clothing style.

“The international style is a little different but somewhat the same with an accent.” Klaus said.

Aside from his OU teammates and parents, Castiello has played with friends in Guadalajara who have also come to play golf in the U.S.

“I have a cousin that plays for Texas State here and I usually practiced with him everyday in Mexico,” Castiello said, “my cousin and also Carlos Otiz who plays for North Texas. We were pretty comparative.”

Eduardo noted that his decision to come to OU was somewhat due to the lack of colleges that provide golf as a sport in Mexico.

“Here you have a lot of sports and it’s the only way to keep playing golf as an amateur so I just came here. Kept the dream,” Castiello said.


In the below video, Eduardo Castiello talks about why he decided to come to the U.S. to pursue a career at OU in golf.

[AUDIO: Joseph Truesdell, runs: 1:25