This past weekend, Swarthmore’s golf team competed in the Centennial Conference Championship. The Garnet were ahead through the first two rounds of play, but could not hold off a late surge by Gettysburg and McDaniel, and finished the tournament in third place. Swarthmore was led by Nick DiMaio ’19, who finished fifth in the tournament. DiMaio earned All-Conference honors for his performance to cap off a stellar career.
Jack Corkery: What is your major, and why did you choose this field of study?
Nick DiMaio: I am double-majoring in Economics and Chinese. I have always been interested in macroeconomics and how geopolitical events affect market movements. Additionally, I always wanted to pick up another language and decided that college would be the perfect time to do so.
JC: Why did you choose Swarthmore?
ND: Golf played a huge role in my decision to come to Swat. I was in touch with Coach Heller since sophomore year of high school. I immediately viewed him as a mentor to me and will continue to do so for years to come. In terms of Swarthmore’s academics, I also really liked the idea of coming to a school with small class sizes where I could get a lot of face time with my professors.
JC: When did you first start playing golf?
ND: I started playing when I was ten. My dad got me into the game at an early age. I picked golf over baseball in middle school and started playing on my varsity high school team in seventh grade. I was bullied a lot by my classmates growing up for not playing a “conventional sport,” but I honestly didn’t care. I found something that I was good at and, more than anything in the world, I loved. That’s when I started taking the game more seriously and began competing in tournaments.
JC: What is your favorite Swarthmore golf memory?
ND: This past Sunday, I walked off the eighteenth green and saw my dad. He came over to me, and we both just started hugging and crying. All of the sacrifices that he has made for me and support that he has shown throughout my golf career hit me at that moment. It was a special moment that I’ll cherish for the rest of my life.
JC: Do you have any post-graduation plans?
ND: I will be working at Nomura in NYC in its Global Markets Division. I look forward to applying what I’ve learned in the classroom at Swarthmore as well as the intangible skills I have picked up from the game of golf to my professional career.
JC: Talk about your performance at the Centennial Conference Championship.
ND: I really put in a lot of work in the golf room over the two weeks leading up to this tournament. I was really proud of how I kept my composure and managed the course all three days of the championship. Coming down the stretch on the back nine during day three, I knew that I needed to put together a good stretch of holes to give myself and, more importantly, my team a chance to take home the championship. I ended up playing my last four holes in two-under par, which was a really amazing way to finish off my career.
JC: How did it feel to be named All-Conference?
ND: As a four year starter, this was my first time being named to the All-Conference team. This has always been a goal of mine. I put a lot of pressure on myself this season to improve the weak aspects of my game to make it to this point. I am incredibly honored and proud to have set and achieved this milestone in my career.
JC: Your senior class is likely the greatest class in Swarthmore golf history. What was it like to spend four years with those guys and grow as golfers and as a team?
ND: Dan, Chris, Vamsi, and Hunter are all amazing players and people. I am so honored to have spent four years by their side as a teammate and as a friend. We not only performed on the course, but we also changed the team culture to be more dynamic and inclusive. These people have driven me to become a better player on the course, a better member of our campus community, and a better man as a whole. I can’t wait to see what is next for all of us!
JC: Golf has a large incoming recruiting class next year. Do you have any advice for next year’s freshmen?
ND: Swarthmore Golf is enter a new chapter. You have the unique opportunity to use the new golf room on campus and to make your presence felt on the course right away. Don’t be afraid to work hard, become a leader, and make an impact on this team.
