By:
Josh Berhow
January 13, 2023
Michael Castillo, who’s battling most cancers, certified for the Sony Open when he received the Aloha PGA Part in September.
Getty Photographs
Michael Castillo mentioned he hit the ball properly in his Sony Open debut on Thursday, though he admits he didn’t rating very nicely. Any critique of his play ended there.
“Doesn’t actually matter,” he mentioned. “I had a good time strolling with my brother on the bag. My household is right here. It was all good. I couldn’t draw it up higher than perhaps the rating.”
Castillo, at age 60, is probably the most inspiring story of the week at Waialae Nation Membership in Honolulu. The pinnacle professional at Kapalua Resort’s Plantation Course — the place the Tour performed final week — Castillo certified for the Sony Open when he received the Aloha PGA Part in September (he birdied the ultimate gap to win by one).
That is his PGA Tour debut, and it comes at a course Castillo and his household have an extended historical past with.
However first, let’s speak about how he acquired there. In accordance with the Related Press, Castillo solely entered the Aloha Part PGA Championship as a result of his assistants at Kapalua talked him into it, because it was performed at Poipu Bay, the place Castillo labored as head professional for 12 years. This has all performed out as Castillo has battled colon most cancers, which he was recognized with about 5 years in the past. The illness has moved to his liver and lungs. He’s been by way of chemotherapy and radiation. Subsequent month he has a PET scan and says if all the pieces appears to be like good docs will contemplate him in remission.
“That’s an excellent factor,” he mentioned. “I’ll most likely be performing some, what they name upkeep or preventive therapies to maintain it at, hold the lid on it, nevertheless it appears to be like fairly good. I’ve acquired nice docs. There may be nice drugs on the market.”
Castillo comes from a well-known {golfing} household, and far of it has to do with Waialae Nation Membership, too. His dad, Ron, was an assistant there within the Seventies and performed in 10 Sony Opens. He’s within the Hawaii Golf Corridor of Fame and coached the Hawaii girls’s golf group, as did his daughter, Lori, who has triumphed within the U.S. Junior Women and U.S. Ladies’s Beginner Public Hyperlinks on her method into the Hawaii Golf Corridor of Fame. Castillo has three bothers, and all 4 of them labored at Waialae whereas in highschool. Two of these brothers have already performed within the Sony; all of them work in golf.
Castillo’s mother, Dorothy, age 84, walked all 18 holes with him on Thursday. Brother Joey was caddying. Michael shot 79, final within the area, however as he mentioned earlier, that “doesn’t actually matter.”
“I assume the shocking factor is I used to be very snug taking part in golf in the present day,” Castillo mentioned. “Didn’t really feel like I wanted to settle nerves I assume. I feel my life journey perhaps is a part of it. Possibly it’s the truth that everyone seems to be making me really feel snug right here. Possibly taking part in this sport for such a very long time you determine tips on how to make it work although it is a crucial spherical of golf.”
Josh Berhow
Golf.com Editor
Josh Berhow is the managing editor at GOLF.com. The Minnesota native graduated with a journalism diploma from Minnesota State College in Mankato. You possibly can attain him at [email protected]