Freezing up the competition

Published: Friday, May 29, 1998

Friday, May 29, 1998

FEATURE: Brandon DiTullio's golfing legacy, upbringing and love for Slurpees hones his talents

By Moin Salahuddin

Daily Bruin Contributor

Michael Jordan is to Gatorade as Brandon DiTullio is to ... Slurpees!

UCLA men's golfer DiTullio is an avid fan of 7-Eleven's No. 1 creation: the Slurpee.

"I love Slurpees," DiTullio said. "They're great. I try to have one at least every day. All of the flavors are great, too! They're probably not as healthy as Gatorade, but they taste twice as good."

While DiTullio might not be consuming the vital nutrients that other sport figures do, he does possess quite a golf game. This junior from Thousand Oaks has played at the top of the Bruins' roster for two years in a row.

However, this success did not only begin at UCLA for DiTullio. While at Westlake High School, DiTullio lettered in golf for four years, while capturing the team's Most Valuable Player award his junior and senior years. As the captain for the last three years on that team, DiTullio won the Miramonte League Individual Championship in 1995, and was selected league MVP.

DiTullio's greatest experiences occurred in 1994-5, when he was a member of the Hogan Cup team, qualified for the California State Amateur at Pebble Beach, and played in the United States Junior Championship.

"I was fairly successful in high school and luckily, I had the opportunity to play in some great tournaments," DiTullio said. "I enjoy competing, and playing against some of the best golfers in the nation was a great experience."

Now in his third season under head coach Brad Sherfy, DiTullio has had a euphoria-filled season.

DiTullio and fellow junior B.J. Schlagenhauf have led their team into the NCAA Championships. DiTullio led UCLA in numerous tournaments, while also shooting 71-71 for the first two rounds of the NCAA West Regionals.

His effort at the NCAA West Regionals provided UCLA a berth into the NCAA Championships. He also garnered second team All-Pacific 10 Conference honors for the second consecutive year.

"I was pretty happy that I received such a distinction," said DiTullio. "But next year, I want to be an All-American, and I want us to win the national title."

Earlier this season Brandon DiTullio captured individual medalist honors at the highly prestigious Arizona State Thunderbird/Savane Invitational. His five-under-par score of 211 gave the Bruins the team title as well, defeating many of the top-ranked teams in the nation.

"That tournament was one of the highlights of my career as an individual," DiTullio said. "But my focus is on team goals rather than on individual ones. I know our team can compete with any other teams in the nation, and I think we got a good shot at being NCAA Champs."

DiTullio's fierce competitiveness can only be matched by his desire to succeed in all that he does. While it may seem that golf is the only thing on his mind, academics also play an important role as well.

"I want to turn pro someday and play on the PGA Tour," said DiTullio. "But I also know that I'll need to do well in academics. That's why I'm trying to focus on school and golf as much as I possibly can."

DiTullio has become one of the premier golfers in the nation, not by sheer luck, but by practice and teaching.

"Coach Sherfy has been a great influence on me and my entire game," DiTullio said. "He's helped me in all aspects of golf, both the physical and mental approach. My father has also been extremely influential in my game."

Golf appears to run in the DiTullio family's genes. DiTullio's father, Jerry, played golf at UCLA from 1968 to 1971. And Brandon's younger brother wants to attend UCLA to play golf as well.

"It's all about UCLA with my family," DiTullio said. "I know a lot of my relatives who come here. I guess I was destined to be here."

In his free time, DiTullio enjoys fishing, almost as much as he enjoys Slurpees.

"It's very peaceful, and I just love to do it," DiTullio said. "There's nothing like fishing with my little brother out in the Pacific. It's just fun."

So the next time you're out at a lake and see some guy with a Slurpee in one hand and a fishing pole (in reality, a 2-iron with some twine) in the other, it might be future PGA hall of famer Brandon DiTullio.

UCLA Sports Information

Brandon DiTullio swings his way toward a future in professional golf.