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Oscar Maxfield: A Utah Man
5/8/2020 11:09 AM | Men's Golf
It is common for young children to look up to their parents and want to follow in their footsteps, especially if their father played a college sport and frequently reminisced on the positive experiences they had. While it can be difficult to follow in those footsteps, redshirt freshman Oscar Maxfield has done just that β and at the same school as his father.
Maxfield grew up in Salt Lake City, where his father, Nalin, played wide receiver for the Utes in 1984. Maxfield was born and raised a diehard Utah fan with his family holding season tickets to both Utah football and basketball, allowing his passion for the school to grow.
βAt the football games we would always run into my dadβs former teammates and he would tell us which position they played and about their time together on the team,β Maxfield said.
Family has always been important to Maxfield, especially when it comes to his parents. And because of that family support, Maxfield began his athletic career.
I have a great relationship with my parents and they are always there for me with tons of love and support. Theyβve come to every one of my tournaments in high school and college. They have really done it all for me and I owe them a lot.
Like his father, Maxfield began his athletic journey by playing football, but he also played baseball, basketball and golf. Like football, his passion for golf came from playing with his family.
βI really started loving golf by playing with my dad and grandpa,β Maxfield said. βThey taught me how to play and I really began taking it more seriously my sophomore year of high school. I just enjoyed being on the golf course all day, every day, and I knew I needed to practice and improve if I wanted to achieve my dream of playing college golf.β
Maxfieldβs hard work paid off and he enjoyed a successful career at Highland High School, earning two first-team all-state selections while also placing second in the 5A state tournament in 2017-18. While playing in high school, Maxfield was also able to learn and grow in the sport through his friendship with a future Utah teammate, Blake Tomlinson.
βHe has been a childhood friend and a really good friend for a long time,β Maxfield said. βSince we were little kids, we played at the same courses and over the year we have played together a ton.β
When Maxfield started looking toward the future and playing collegiate sports, he had a decision to make. He was also a successful high school basketball player, and was looking for a way to play both sports he loved.
βAt first, I wanted to play basketball in college and I was talking to some schools that were interested in letting me play both,β Maxfield said. βBut I decided I wanted to focus on golf long term and began talking to schools only about golf.β
Once the recruiting process began, Maxfield hoped for an offer from his dream school. Growing up as a Utah fan, seeing his phone ring with head coach Garrett Cleggβs number on the screen was a dream come true.
βOne day I got a phone call from Coach Clegg and I knew he was going to let me know whether or not he was going to offer me,β he said. βI answered the call and I was so nervous that I was shaking and then he said he was going to offer me a spot and I was ecstatic. Once I hung up the phone I went and told my parents and we were all so excited. I was looking around and talking to the other schools, but Utah was always my number one. Once I got the offer, I committed the next day.β
Once he arrived on campus, he and the coaching staff made the decision that he would redshirt his freshman year in 2018-19. While it was a hard decision, it has led to Maxfield to becoming the golfer that he is today.
βI knew I needed to improve my game in order to play,β he said. βWe really focused on my short game and chipping and it improved a ton. One day after practice, Coach Clegg took me aside and we worked on a few different shots that I needed to add to my bag. I also worked more on adding a full swing and my game improved so much over the course of that year.β
The decision to redshirt paid off, competing in three events this past season while averaging 75.1 stroke per round with his highest finish coming at the Mea Lanakila Individual where he placed 15th overall. While the hard work he put in during his redshirt year was a testament to his time on the course, he also credits the coaching staff.
My coaches are great and we are really lucky to have them. Coach Clegg knows so much about the game and has lots of experience to teach us. Coach Cain is also always there to help and he is supporting us every day.
In his first season on the travel roster for select tournaments, Maxfield learned how to juggle school and his personal life, but it also helped him form bonds with his teammates that will last forever.
βWeβve got the tightest knit group of guys in the country and I really believe that,β he said. βWe hang out on and off the course and that really helps when youβre out there competing and you have that chemistry. We love each other, and we have each otherβs backs.β
With three tournaments under his belt, the 2019-20 season was cut short due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Although he hasnβt been able to train with his teammates, he is still working to excel and progress in his craft.
βIβm at home working out every day and going to the course, practicing and working to get better,β Maxfield said. βThis is a great opportunity for us to work on specific changes because there are no tournaments and that is rare to not have to worry about results. So, we have really had a chance to change some things and make some improvements.β
Although the sports world constantly changing right now, one thing is for sure for Maxfield β when he does return, he will do whatever it takes to help his team compete at the highest level.
I think it is really important to us to make regionals and nationals. I think it would just be so awesome if we could come together and all play well to get to match play at nationals. That would be the coolest experience and my goal is to contribute by playing solid and help the team win.
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