The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Where are they now?: Omar Uresti and Sherri Steinhauer
04.18.2005 | Texas Athletics
| OMAR URESTI Golf, 1988-91
Uresti's latest UT adornment is a bag tag photo of his seven-month old son, Omar, Jr., who is wearing a burnt orange jersey with the letters "LBLH," which stands for little bitty Longhorn. When Uresti is on camera and hits a good shot, there is a good chance he will flash a "Hook 'em, Horns sign. "I grew up in Austin as a UT fan, went to UT, and I've just always been real proud to be a Longhorn," Uresti said on a recent break from the PGA Tour. "Quite a few UT guys out here (on the PGA Tour) do the same thing. It was a great place to go to school and a great place to play college golf." Uresti played on teams that won Southwest Conference titles in 1989, 1990 and 1991. He earned all-conference honors each of those season and added All-America acclaim in 1989 and 1990. He earned a degree in organizational communication in 1991 and since then has played on the PGA Tour or Nationwide Tour. Uresti won the 1994 Shreveport Open on the Nationwide Tour, where he set a tour record with nine birdies in a row. He's back on the PGA Tour this season, but came home to Austin for a break during which time he won the Canadian Tour event at Barton Creek Resort & Spa in March. Consistent with his Longhorns attire, Uresti's victory came on the Barton Creek Crenshaw Cliffside course, which was designed by UT golf legend Ben Crenshaw. "I've known Ben about as long as I can remember, and it was always an honor to have grown up playing in Austin and at UT like he did," Uresti said. "Winning any tournament is a great thrill, but to win on a course with his name on it is really special. He is such a great ambassador of golf, of UT and of Austin...always has been, always will be." Uresti, 36, played the professional tours as a bachelor for 12 years until getting married two years ago. He and his wife, Anita, now have seven-month old Omar, Jr. It has meant a major life style change -- for the better, Uresti says. "I'm so happy with married life and with being a father," Uresti said. "It's definitely a different way to live (on the PGA Tour). It's a lot different to pack for three instead of just for yourself. Life on the tour can get pretty lonely when you're out there by yourself. I used to go to the movies a lot just to kill time." Besides a content family life, Uresti is looking forward to the next few seasons on the PGA Tour. "A lot of golfers hit their prime at just about my age," Uresti said. "I'm pretty happy with the way I'm playing this year, and I feel like I'm moving in the right direction. It's tough to win out here, though. There are so many good, young players who can hit the ball so far. You only get so many chances to win, and you want to be ready to take advantage of that. That's what I'm shooting for." | ||||||||
| SHERRI STEINHAUER Golf, 1981-85
"I'm at a point in my career where I just feel so fortunate that I'm continuing to make a living at golf, which is my passion," said the 42-year-old Steinhauer, a Longhorn All-American in 1985. "I'm just out there having fun every day, every hole of golf, just enjoying the experience. "That's not to say I don't still work hard at it," the six-time LPGA winner added. "I've still got that burn to win. But as I have grown older, it's just not the life or death situation it used to be." Steinhauer is a native of Madison, Wis., and was a three-time winner of the Wisconsin State Junior Championship. She played on Coach Pat Weis' UT teams of 1981-85, including the 1984 Southwest Conference Championship team. Steinhauer, who won five college titles, was named to the Southwest Conference All-Decade Team for the 19980s and was in the inaugural class of the UT Women's Hall of Honor in 2000. Steinhauer qualified for the LPGA Tour in 1986 and has been a fixture ever since. Her six victories include three majors: the 1992 de Maurier Ltd. Classic and the Women's British Open in 1998 and 1999. She played on the United State team in the Solheim Cup Matches three times and earlier this year passed the $4 million mark in career winnings. That's an impressive resume, and Steinhauer would like to add to it. She feels she can play competitively on the LPGA several more years. But she knows it will get tougher as she starts to tee it up with women half her age. "The girls starting out today on the Tour are so different," Steinhauer said from her home in Palm Springs, Fla. "They are so extremely well prepared in every phase of the game. They have all the shots. They are stronger physically. Many work with a physical trainer. Many work with a sports psychologist. "They start out with so much more tournament experience than I had at that age," Steinhauer added. "They play about the same kind of college schedule we did, but the rest of the year they are still playing a whole lot of tournament golf. The transition from college to pros is not nearly as tough for them as it was for me." One challenge for Steinhauer in playing with younger golfers is that "they hit the ball so far. It's incredible. I try to stick to my own game and not pay attention to how far they are hitting. When I'm swinging well, I can still get it out there pretty far, but not like that." Experience is still the best teacher, and Steinhauer says there are some things a player has to learn on their own over time. "This is pretty demanding lifestyle with all the travel, the physical demands and the pressure of competing," she said. "It takes most players a while to figure it all out. I wouldn't trade it for anything, because, like I said, I am living my passion. But it can take a toll, and as you get older you want to stay home more." Steinhauer won't be at home much this season. She plans to play about the same schedule as a year ago when she made 27 LPGA appearances. |
