Emilio Gil Leyva looks at his shot Nov. 6 at the World Wide Technology Championship in Cabo, San Lucas, Mexico. Photo Courtesy UTRGV Athletics
Born in Culiacan, Mexico, Emilio Gil Leyva’s love for golf grew alongside his early memories from the age of 5 of watching his brother and father play.
At 16, Leyva won a tournament and that is when he realized he wanted to keep playing more and eventually move to a different league.
Leyva did a year in Florida before graduating high school and then decided to go back to his hometown to graduate with his friends.
He said he loves being part of UTRGV since it feels like “home”.
“It’s great, I love it, I think it’s pretty similar to Mexico, so I kinda feel like at home and I mean, the team is great,” Leyva said. “We have good facilities where we practice, so yeah, I really like it here.”
He went from playing golf with his family to playing next to professionals at the World Wide Technology (WWT) Championship, a Professional Golf Association (PGA) event Nov. 6 at El Cardonal at Diamante in Cabo, San Lucas, Mexico.
“It’s an amazing experience. I mean, playing there in Mexico, it was just unbelievable,” Leyva said.
Leyva is focusing on getting better and trying new things during the offseason he normally cannot practice during the regular season.
He said he is preparing to come back better and stronger for next semester.
To know more about Leyva and the UTRGV Men’s Golf Team, visit goutrgv.com.
