Passion drives freshman golfer to CIF finals

Only 20 high school male golfers from the CIF Inland Region finished high enough to advance to the CIF Southern Section golf championship. Canyon Lake’s Nixon Lauritzen, only a first-year freshman, was one of those 20.

A total of 60 Southern California high school golfers competed all day yesterday at the CIF-SS Individual Championships at the Victoria Lakes Course at River Ridge Golf Club in Oxnard. (The results were not available before The Friday Flyer’s press deadline.)

For such a young golfer to make the elite tournament filled with graduating seniors says much about his talent and drive. His mother insists the high level of play is the result of self-inflicted passion for the sport and not from his parents pushing him to improve.

“People always ask us, ‘how do you get him to love golf so much and have so much drive? Do you push him?’” Nixon’s mom Kerri Lauritzen said. “That answer is ‘no,’ we have never pushed him. This is his passion and the passion drives him.”

Canyon Lake’s Nixon Lauritzen pauses during a recent tournament while participating with his Temescal Canyon High School golf team. Only a freshman, Nixon qualified last week to advance to the CIF Southern Section Championships held yesterday in Oxnard. Photo provided by Kerri Lauritzen

In his first year at Temescal Canyon High School, Nixon balances his golf schedule with his academic schedule. He is in the school’s prestigious Engineering program and holds a grade point average of 4.333.

“Nixon has been golfing since he could walk,” Kerri said. “The love for the sport started at a young age and the passion and drive to make it to the professional level is nothing like we have seen anywhere else. His dream to one day ‘make it’ is what drives him.”

Most of his practice time has been spent on the Canyon Lake Golf Course through the years. He has participated in local Canyon Lake golf tournaments and junior golf clinics as he grew up in the community. Nixon has been coached by Brian Carlson at the Canyon Lake Golf Course for many years.

To qualify for the third and final round of the CIF Southern Section Championship Tournament, Nixon had to finish in the top 20 of the June 1 CIF Southern Section Central Regional Tournament that took place at Temecula’s Redhawk Golf Course. He finished tied for 17th to earn a trip to the championship tournament.

After the CIF tournament and the school year conclude next week, Nixon won’t rest. He placed 1st and 2nd place in his last two non-school tournaments and has qualified for The Future Champions Callaway Junior World Tournament that takes place in July.