Breeding Greatness - The Cantlay Family
8/3/2020 3:32:00 PM | Women's Golf
Some families love camping, some bond over food, others enjoy traveling, but golf runs in the Cantlay family blood. While some kids were raised at the beach or the mountains, the Cantlay kids were at the course. They haven't left since, and one even found her way to the Cal Poly women's golf program."We all pretty much grew up at the golf course, but I actually really didn't like golf at first because it's what my brothers did. Once I started, it was really nice having people around the house to rely on and learn from."
Caroline Cantlay is the second-youngest in her family and a fourth-year women's golf team member. In her time as a Mustang, she has led her program to new heights and continues to work toward her goals daily.
Caroline holds every single individual record at Cal Poly, has been a part of every team that has broken records for the program, was the 2017-18 Big West Freshman of the Year, the 2019 SCGA Match Play champion, and was also the 2018 UC Irvine Invitational champion.
"I've worked really hard so it's been nice to see it pay off. Golf is the first thing I ever fell in love with. It's what I spend the majority of my life thinking about," she said. "It's what I spend my days trying to get better at."
This past October, Caroline shot a 65 at the Rainbow Wahine Invitational in Kapolei, Hawai'i, as her 7-under performance established a new school record.
While all of the Cantlay kids have seen massive success in their sport, the oldest, Patrick, paved the way for all his siblings to follow. Patrick is currently ranked 10th in the PGA Tour after competing for two years at UCLA.
He earned his first win as a pro in 2013 at the Colombia Championship, but was given a medical extension after a back injury and had to sit out for a few seasons. Back on his feet in 2017, he won his first PGA Tour title at the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open.In 2019, Patrick tied for third at the PGA Championship, and later that year he won the Memorial Tournament in Ohio. He has even made an appearance in a recent advertisement for Goldman Sachs, the company's first athlete sponsorship.
Patrick is one of the best in the world at what he does and Caroline is thankful to be able to have him as a resource throughout her career.
"I'm really proud of Patrick and all that he's done and it's really inspiring to watch him," she says. "I'm really grateful that I get to look to him and call him my brother."
Hard work is another thing that runs through the Cantlays' veins. Her older brother, Nick, graduated from Long Beach State after a four-year career on their Division I golf team. He is now also playing professionally and helping lead the way for the youngest Cantlay, Jack. Jack is a junior at Servite High School in Anaheim, and has his eyes on a top-tier school and the PGA Tour.
Caroline still has one more year to compete for the Mustangs and is planning to pursue golf professionally after her collegiate career is over. Nick is also pursuing his pro golf career and Jack is hoping to follow in his siblings' footsteps once he graduates high school.
Most parents don't get to see just one of their kids play professional sports, but parents Colleen and Steve Cantlay have the potential to watch all four of their children achieve greatness in the sport they love through dedication and sacrifice.
Commenting on her children, Colleen expressed, "We feel extremely blessed to be able to play golf in our family, but none of my children were born playing. Each one has worked consistently to make it happen. All we provided was a culture of opportunity and encouragement. Each day you have one little win in the right direction, string them together and you can create a force of momentum that will carry you to places you never imagined."
According to the NCAA, roughly 2 percent of male and almost 3 percent of female high school golfers go on to compete at the Division I level. With small rosters, very few athletes are able to achieve their goal of playing at the highest collegiate levels.
While these stats are intimidating, the Cantlay family has been nothing but an exception to the rule.
@CPMustangs • #RideHigh
Maia Dvoracek is a fourth-year Cal Poly journalism major in addition to being an All-American with the Cal Poly volleyball program. Photos courtesy of Owen Main ©
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