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06/24/2021 12:00 AMCJ Giuliano was only a freshman on the Morgan boys’ golf team this year, but his contributions to the squad resembled the efforts of a seasoned upperclassman. CJ made a great debut on the varsity greens in 2021, spending time competing out of the No. 2 spot in the Huskies’ lineup, while helping the team have a solid season that featured a record of 11-4.
CJ has been playing golf for the past six years. CJ got his start in the sport through his grandmother Doreen Mantilla, and he’s been a regular on the course ever since.
“My grandmother got me started at Clinton Country Club at summer golf camp, and I got serious about the sport three years ago. She means a lot to me,” CJ says. “She has been a member of Clinton Country Club for a very long time and kept telling me I would enjoy it. She sent me and my cousins to golf camp for couple of weeks, and I loved it.”
When CJ was in middle school, he started to realize just how much his golf game was evolving. CJ decided to dedicate himself to the sport as his time at the high school drew closer.
“After my last golf camp a few years ago, I realized my improvement in my game. I knew at that I point that I really wanted to focus on golf,” says CJ. “My favorite aspect of golf is that every time you go to play a round of golf, it is always different—from the way you play, the tees, and the fact that you can play different courses. I also really like that the game of golf has the image of a very classy sport.”
Head Coach Eric Bergman believes that CJ has all the potential to be a top-tier player for the Huskies going forward. Bergman will be relying on CJ to step up as a sophomore next year following the graduation of Jason Cohen, who was a senior captain on this year’s team.
“CJ means so much to this program’s future,” says Bergman. “As our All-State captain Jason Cohen graduated this last week, CJ will look to fill a much more important role for us. He may be our go-to No. 1.”
CJ relies heavily on the support of his head coach and hopes to continue improving under Bergman’s wing. CJ has also implemented a strict practice regiment to ensure that he stays on the right path.
“Coach Bergman is great. He is incredibly supportive and always wants me to do my very best. He believes that great things can and will be in my golf future,” CJ says. “It’s all about practice, practice, practice. I play a lot of golf at various courses, and this gives me the opportunity to work on all parts of my game. I also built a chipping area and put in two golf holes in my backyard that I practice getting close to.”
In his most recent outing at Clinton Country Club, CJ shot even par while playing a friendly round with some of his friends. That round marked the first time in CJ’s golfing career that he shot even par.
This achievement helped CJ believe that he can accomplish anything he puts his mind to whenever he’s out there.
“Recently, I played nine holes at Clinton Country Club. I was two-over par through seven holes, then I birdied the last two holes to shoot even par,” says CJ. “That proved to me that shooting par was possible.”
CJ also played baseball while growing up, but felt that he had to commit to playing one sport. After enjoying a nice freshman season at Morgan, CJ feels confident that he made the right choice.
“I used to play baseball for many years, however, I had to decide between the two sports since they are both in the same season,” CJ says. “It was an awfully hard decision, but in the end, I chose golf.”