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As a Leader and a Golfer, Barcos Realizing Potential for Utah Golf
2/6/2023 10:09 AM | Men's Golf
Following a fall season that included his first collegiate victory, Javier Barcos is ready to lead Utah Golf in pursuit of a successful spring
SALT LAKE CITY β "I remember I was really nervous."
That's what was going through Javier Barcos' mind as he approached the 18th hole in the final round of the Oregon State Invitational. He entered that last hole in a tie for first place with OSU's Mateo Fuenmayor and in search of the first collegiate victory of his career. Despite the pressure of the moment and with the tournament title nearly in his grasp, the junior from Estella, Spain did not let his composure escape him.
"I told myself to stay in the moment," said Barcos, "that I have been here a lot and I just need to focus and be myself."
For Barcos, having a chance to capture an event championship was not something he was unfamiliar with. As a sophomore, he'd earned three top 10 finishes, including a third-place performance at the Visit Stockton Invitational in Oct. of 2021, where he shot 13-under and posted a second-round 63. During the spring, his 11th place finish at NCAA Regionals helped the Utes punch their ticket to the NCAA Championships for the first time since 1988. Barcos also could claim his squad's second-best stroke average during 2021-22.
Even after a season in which he accomplished so much, both as an individual and as part of a successful team, both Barcos and his coach knew he could be even better as a junior. "His game had come a long way and was improved," said head coach Garrett Clegg "but he was still a little bit inconsistent. Javi is somebody who struggles to stay focused, and he's somebody who moves really fast, so he needed to continue to work on slowing down. Β The message was to continue working on staying in the moment and really work on your putting."
"Normally, I struggle to stay in the moment because I go too fast," said Barcos, "so I've tried to calm down during practice. That's helped me. Putting, I think my biggest problem was my speed. My speed was really bad, so I couldn't read the greens very well and I worked on speed drills during the summer. I think that has helped me."
The work Barcos had put in was evident in the offseason, as he helped Team Spain capture the European Amateur Team Championship in July. When he returned to campus for the start of his junior campaign, there was an obvious difference and it was apparent both in his play and in the role he playedΒ on the squad.
"He has been working a lot on his putting and it has gotten a lot better," said Clegg, "and he understands the importance of him being the leader of this team.Β He has taken that seriously.Β Javier now does a better job staying focused on playing golf because he knows he is the guy for our team."
Barcos returned to Utah with a list of goals that included achieving several top 10 finishes, but he also wanted to make sure his teammates had the type of person to lean on that he'd had when he arrived. He tried to draw on what he'd learned from those who led the squad before while maintaining his own identity.
"I just wanted to be myself," said Barcos. "I didn't want to take on a role from people from last year. I tried to learn from them and how they did things for me, then add my own qualities for what I think a good leader should be. I try to be there for everyone whenever they need it. I think having someone to look up to is really important when you're new on the team."
One of the traits that has helped Barcos excel in a leadership role for the Utes is his intense competitiveness, which is something he has possessed since long before he arrived in Salt Lake City. "Since I was little," he said, "I just didn't want anyone to beat me at anything. That is probably the best thing that has happened to me because I was not the best kid when I was young, but I wanted to be, so I tried to work hard.Β I tried to be the best in every moment and that has helped me to become the person I am today."
"For our team," said Clegg, "they need to take on his competitive outlook. For Javi, he loves to win. It is all about winning and that is critically important for our success. His desire and drive to win helps push the rest of team."
Barcos started the fall by displaying flashes of his top form in the Utes' first two tournaments before grabbing his initial top 10 finish of the yearΒ at the Hamptons Intercollegiate. He piled up a tournament-best 39 pars over 54 holes and moved up three spots on the final day to finish in a tie for seventh. This performance proved to be only an appetizer for what the Spaniard had in store a week later.
The 2022 Oregon State Invitational started on October 10 and was held at the Trysting Tree Golf Club. Day one encompassed nearly all of the first two rounds and at the end of that long first day, no one had a lower score than Barcos. He was four-under over the first 18 holes and, after shaking off a few early bogeys at the start of round two, rattled off four birdies before darkness brought an end to the day just before the completion of the second round. When the final 18 holes in Corvallis began, Barcos was just one shot behind the leader.
The tournament's final round did not get off to an ideal start for the Utah junior. A few early missteps threatened to derail his chance for a win. "The last day, I didn't start the round that great," said Barcos. "I was three off the lead and I felt like I had messed up. Thank goodness I had [assistant coach] Spencer [Dunaway] next to me. He calmed me down and I started to have fun and be myself. The last 12 holes we were just having fun, playing golf."
With his focus restored, Barcos started the back nine by shooting two-under through the first eight holes. As he headed for the 18th tee, he found himself even with Fuenmayor atop the leaderboard. "All I remember is being really nervous and really, really wanting the victory," said Barcos. "I also remember the other guy hitting the bunker, so I was just trying to keep it in play. I just had to think about where I hit my shot and not think about what the other guy did. In the end, everything ended up perfect."
Barcos found the green in two shots and when he finished off his par and Fuenmayor bogeyed, the Utah junior had his first triumph. "The feeling, I don't know how to express it," he said, "because I have been there more than a couple times and I did not finish the job. Winning that time, every emotion I had in those tournaments, that frustration, that happiness merged together and it was an amazing feeling that I do not know how to describe. Having my teammates around also was awesome."
"He was just so stable and steady and he was himself," said Clegg. "Javi played great. I just remember that win as a moment for him where he understood he could be himself and win at this level. He did not have to be 'extra special.' Javi is an incredible talent and he is showing that to everyone."
Both coach and player acknowledge the win as a significant step forward, but they also feel that Barcos has only scratched the surface of his potential and could be even better in the spring. "He can win any tournament we play," said Clegg. "It is not fair in our sport to expect someone to win every event because that does not ever happen. I expect him to be in the top 10 pretty much every week and have the opportunity to win most tournaments.Β I anticipate he will win, if not one, maybe two or three tournaments in the spring."
One half of the 2022-23 season is in the books for Javier Barcos, and with it, one major goal for his junior season has already been reached. As the Utes close in on the start of the second half of their schedule, with it comes an opportunity for the junior from Spain to cement his status as one of the best golfers in the Pac-12. Barcos himself, however, is just as focused on helping his team accomplish something special.
"I want to have one or two more victories during the spring," he said, "and as a team, our goal is to try and make it to regionals. We didn't have the best fall, but I trust my teammates. If we have a solid spring, we will make it to regionals." On February 16, the Utes will have the chance to start working towards that goal once again.
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