The French connection
Senior golfer Mathieu Fenasse brings unique mindset to Flames program
Most athletes love the idea of being part of a team — the unity, the fellowship, the bearing of each other’s burdens. While Liberty Flames golfer Mathieu Fenasse values that team connection, the individual aspect of the sport is something that he finds alluring.
IN THE ZONE — Mathieu Fenasse hones his craft, putting from the fringe of the green. Photo provided
“I liked the fact that (golf) is an individual sport,” Fenasse said. “You don’t play for a team or anything, you just play for yourself first.”
To some people, this might sound selfish, but there is more to this soft-spoken golfer than that.
“If I play good, it’s up to me,” Fenasse said. “If I play bad, it’s up to me.”
In fact, the individualization of golf is what draws Fenasse to the sport.
“Golf is a sport where perfection is impossible to attain,” Fenasse said. “So each and every day you have to re-establish what you are doing and always think of new ways to improve. I’m also an individualist, so golf is a really good sport for people like me.”
Fenasse was born and raised in the city of Toulouse, France, which lies about an hour and a half northeast of the French-Spanish border. As an only child, he developed a love for sports at a young age, playing a variety of different sports such as tennis, rugby, soccer and golf. He began playing golf when he was 10 years old, keeping a family tradition that began with his grandfather.
As a student, Fenasse always had to set aside time for sports since the majority of his time was dedicated to school. In France, there are no universities or colleges that offer successful athletic programs, so many students often come to America to further their education. Fenasse wanted to do just that — something he said is his favorite part of America — and to continue to play golf.
“In France, we are pretty much in school all day,” Fenasse said. “So if you liked to play sports, you could only play them on Wednesday afternoon and during
the weekend.”
So Fenasse used his agent, a type of advisor that many European athletes utilize once they finish their secondary education, to help him find a good school. His agent discovered Liberty and contacted men’s golf Head Coach Jeff Thomas about Fenasse. Fenasse decided to do his own research on Jerry Falwell’s university and made his decision without ever stepping foot on the campus.
“I didn’t take a visit (to Liberty) because I didn’t want to go to college anymore,” Fenasse said. “Then three months before school started, I actually changed my mind. I only heard about Liberty two months before coming here, so it was pretty fast.”
Fenasse found his college, but then he faced another challenge — he did not speak English. So, at age 18, he traveled to Florida, where he stayed for six months to compete in golf tournaments and to learn to speak English. He spent the next six months at Liberty learning to write in English.
Fenasse, now a senior, frequently reflects on how far he has come since his arrival in Lynchburg a couple years ago.
“My first two years, I was just trying to be on the team and prove that I could compete with the other guys,” Fenasse said. “Now, I’m more of a leader and people are looking up to me, and I have to be an example.”
Though a self-proclaimed individualist, Fenasse does acknowledge one person in his life as his greatest motivation — his father.
“(My dad) taught me how to be successful in life,” Fenasse said. “He taught me what I have to do each and every day to be better and to be a good person. So when I’m on the golf course or when I’m studying or anything, that’s who I’m looking up to.”
Fenasse will graduate in May, after which he plans to return home to France and join the European Tour, the European equivalent of America’s PGA Tour. He said he will likely move to Spain, where the weather is more suitable for golf year-round and his family is nearby.
VANDENBOSCH is a sports reporter.