15 Years Later, Friesen is Still Living His Dream

Men's GolfAugust 26, 2015

15 Years Later, Friesen is Still Living His Dream

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In the wide world of professional sports, Steve Friesen is an anomaly, especially for Nebraska natives. The 1999 Ben Hogan Award winner, presented annually to collegiate golf’s top scholar-athlete, Friesen is still playing the game that he loves professionally.

Having excelled on the course and in the classroom at Nebraska, the Lincoln native became a 1999 All-American. He’s learned that golf is the closest game to the game we call life. Why? Because you get bad breaks from good shots, and you get good breaks from bad shots, but you always have to play the ball where it lies, according to the legendary Bobby Jones.

That, in a nutshell, describes why the only three-time all-conference honoree in Nebraska men’s golf history agrees with that pearl of wisdom. That’s also why he continues to play the game with enough passion to make a living.

Competition Drove His Career Choice, Inspired Move to Phoenix

For the last 10 years, Friesen has lived in Phoenix, Ariz., doing what few Huskers ever get to do – play golf professionally. A 2000 University of Nebraska graduate with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biological Science, Friesen says the competition is what’s keeps him motivated.

Unlike countless jobs, “there’s always immediate feedback from your performance,” he told me. “Every day, you know how well you did because only excellence is rewarded.”

Competition, however, is not the only lure to live your dream like Friesen has. Another draw is “the different people, cultures and countries that professional golf has allowed me to experience and to be a part of,” Friesen said. “I’ve enjoyed that as much as anything.”

Friesen Met Chiho, the Love of His Life, in Flagstaff, Arizona

Friesen's wife, Chiho, pictured above, shares his love of travel. "She's from Japan, and we met in Arizona," he said, "When she was traveling through America from New Mexico, she was headed to California before stopping to live in the mountains near Flagstaff (Arizona).

"We met there," Friesen said. Now married and living in Phoenix with two young children, "I'm grateful for her support, hard work and the sacrifices she makes for our family," he said. "I tell her all the time how glad I am that she stopped in Flagstaff."

Friesen has competed in countries throughout North America, South America and Asia. He’s made friendships with people from all around the world and is living proof that the game of golf is such a social sport that the very nature of the profession provides countless opportunities to meet all kinds of different people involved with the game.

Blessed to Compete in a Beautiful Game with a Positive Experience

“I’m still competing in this game of golf because I believe it’s a beautiful game,” Friesen told me. “I hope that who I am, how I work and how I play the game might have a small but positive influence on those around me.”

Asked which collegiate highlight resonates most from his competitive days at Nebraska, Friesen doesn’t deliberate. “My very last tournament ever in college,” he said. “As a team, we improved every year. My senior year, we qualified for the NCAA National Tournament for the second straight year and played all four rounds as a team and finished in the top 15.”

He remembers being disappointed that the Huskers didn’t finish higher. “I believe we were a Top 10 team in the country that year,” he said, “but we were all proud that we improved every year and had one of the most successful teams in school history. Those are lifelong memories.”

College Team a Mix of International Golfers, Homegrown Talent

Friesen (above left) also remembers competing at Nebraska with student-athletes from all over the world. “For someone who’d never left America at the time, and had not been outside Nebraska that much, what a great influence that was on my life,” he said.

His college teammates included guys from Quebec (who spoke French), plus others from Sweden, Norway, Colombia and Australia. “With the Hewit Center and the Training Table, it was so easy to get to know and become friends with people from other sports and other countries all over the world,” Friesen said.

“I think it’s great living in a world that’s becoming so much smaller and connected,” he said. “Academically, my parents instilled in me to work hard in the classroom and have a desire to learn, and that mindset carried over into college.”

Being part of a team was great for Friesen’s growth as a golfer. “That started at the top with Coach (Larry) Romjue,” he said. “He recruited some great international golfers (Josh Madden, Trent Morrison, Jamie Rogers and Jacques Paiemont). Not many coaches were recruiting internationally in those days.”

What stands out most in Friesen's memory is the community support and the camaraderie of his teammates and other student-atthletes. "I think so many Huskers before me and after me have experienced what I did," he said. "Those are the memories that we all cherish most."

Romjue Helped Huskers Discover Who They Were on Their Own

Romjue (above left with Friesen) recruited a group of talented Nebraska golfers, including Scott Gutschewski, Ryan Nietfeldt and Seth Porter. “Coach Romjue did a great job of coaching us as well as letting us discover who we were on our own,” Friesen said. Most importantly, “we, as players, had a love for competition and a huge desire to work hard and improve.”

Those same qualities enabled Friesen to launch his professional career. His pro highlight was winning a tournament on the Web.com Tour in 2011. Getting that win on one of the world’s top tours was a validation of all the years of work Friesen put into the sport and the perseverance that’s required to make a living.

“It’s tough to compare college golf and professional golf,” Friesen said. “In the pros, it’s just me and my caddie. In college, there were five of us, plus our coach. I think there’s something special about the bonds of a team, so I’d say I’m extra fond of my college memories.”

On Friday, Sept. 4, Friesen will be in Lincoln as a member of the first induction class into the Nebraska Athletics Hall of Fame. The next day, the inaugural class will be introduced at halftime of the Husker-BYU season-opening football game.

When His Older Brother Started Playing Golf, Steve Quickly Followed

Growing up as a little kid in Lincoln, Friesen remembers "like it was yesterday" going to Husker football games with his grandfather. All of these years later, to be inducted into the inaugural class of the Hall of Fame, and be recognized at halftime in Memorial Stadium, "is just so humbling," Friesen said. "I think my grandfather would be proud."

With that background, Nebraska's extraordinary athletic tradition was a constant source of pride in his search for athletic excellence. "There are so many people in Lincoln who have helped me become who I am and enabled me to accomplish what I have," he said, recognizing his brother as the first in his family to compete in golf.

"I've always looked up to my brother, so when he started playing golf, I wanted to join him," said Friesen, pictured below with his son, Hyuma. "We learned to play at the Jim Ager Junior Golf Course. Then I grew up playing at Firethorn before becoming a Husker and later a professional player. All the support from everyone there has really been special to me."

The Lure of Lincoln Boils Down to Its Great Sense of Community

After spending 10 years living in Arizona, “I I think I can see a little more clearly what makes Lincoln and Nebraska so special,” Friesen said. “In a word, it boils down to community. The small-size cities and the overall population are important factors. Many who grew up here still live here. People don’t move to Lincoln for the weather., but I will say in the fall, Nebraska is about as good as it gets anywhere. People come to Nebraska to be part of a community. It’s truly a special place that really supports its own in all kinds of ways. You know what they say about Nebraska…once a Husker, always a Husker!”

Nebraska’s newest collegiate/city facilities reinforce Lincoln’s progressive sense of community. “The Athletic Department has built so many great facilities,” Friesen said. “That’s helped Nebraska attract some of the greatest student-athletes from all over the world.”

Friesen believes such facilities have been designed to create a community. “It’s everybody pulling for the Huskers,” he said. “I cannot stress what a positive effect that had on my life. Because of my profession, I live in Arizona, but I know there really is NO PLACE like Nebraska.”

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