Italian WC golfer follows family tradition

Giovanni Vezza never met his namesake, his grandfather, who passed away before he was born. However, the elder "Gio" would no doubt be proud of the way his grandson is carrying on his legacy. 

Gio, as he is also known, is a freshman golfer from Italy making a name for himself for the Weatherford College Coyotes. A transfer from New Mexico Junior College, ironically, his three best rounds in the fall season came in a tournament his former school hosted, 66-68-69.  

He also led the Coyotes in a tournament in Waco, shooting one under par for three rounds. 

GROWING UP WITH THE SPORT 

Vezza started playing golf at age 8, but, he smiled and said, "I have held a golf club ever since I was born." 

"My family has always played golf, and it was my father specifically who introduced me to the sport that I love. He's been a scratch golfer throughout most of his life and has represented Italy in the Audi World Amateur Cup in Dubai," Vezza said. "Other influences I had growing up were Rickie Fowler, who caught my eyes as a kid with his bright orange outfits on Sundays, and Tiger Woods, thanks to his dominance in the sport." 

Golf has always been deeply rooted in his family, especially from his father's side.  

"He introduced the sport to my mum and after falling in love with it, she managed to become a 10-handicap player," he said. "My younger siblings have also played competitively early on and even though they did not decide to pursue the sport further, they still enjoy playing it very much.  

"It's a luxury to have a family full of golfers as it promotes a competitive environment, and it allows us to travel around the world and play golf together." 

Those travels brought him to America for the first time in the summer of 2018. He was playing in the US Kids World Championship at Pinehurst in North Carolina. It was also a chance for a family vacation. 

"We would end up visiting New York on the way to Pinehurst, as well as Florida to experience Walt Disney World and Universal Studios," he said. "I would travel to Florida a second time in June of 2022 as I had earned myself the opportunity to spend a week with Sean Foley, Tiger Woods's former coach, at his academy in Orlando." 

GETTING COMPETITIVE 

Vezza began playing competitive golf at age 12. His first victories came in the 14-15 age group in the US Kids Italian Tour, allowing him to represent Italy in the tournament that first brought him to the US. 

In 2020, he won the U16 Italian National Stroke Play Qualifier, beating the best players in the nation in his age group. In 2022, he would come up just short of his first national title, claiming third place at the U18 National Match Play Championship.  

In 2023, on April 2, his birthday, he was able to claim his first World Amateur Golf Ranking win, shooting a final-round 66 and overcoming a six-shot deficit. A third-place finish would follow in May at the U21 Slovenian International Amateur, where he was also able to help Italy claim the Nations Trophy.  

He would claim another podium a month later at the Chiocciola D'oro Trophy with rounds of 70-63-73 for a minus-11 total.  

"This is one of my biggest accomplishments as I was able to break the course record in front of the community that saw me grow as a kid at Golf Club Cherasco, where I first started playing golf," Vezza said. 

But he said his biggest accomplishment would arrive on April 3 of this year when he won his first Collegiate Individual Title at the University of the Southwest Spring Invitational.  

"After two hard-fought holes, I was able to claim the title against the No. 2 nationally ranked player." 

FAMILY FIRST 

"I've been blessed with the gift of having two loving and supportive parents, my mum, Helga, and my father, Luca," Vezza said. "Along with my parents, I have a younger brother a younger sister, and a French bulldog named Gustavo." 

Gio attended the International School of Turin and graduated, earning an International Baccalaureate diploma.  

He has mastered three languages: Italian, English and Spanish. 

"I always had a special bond with my family, I retain it to be the only true thing in life, and when I found out that my dad had a stroke earlier in April, it reminded me of how important our closest ones are and how instantly our lives can change forever," he said. "Fortunately, he was able to come out of this intact, and thanks to my mother's loving efforts we were all able to resume our regular lives after a couple of months. 

"'Everything happens for a reason' is the way I would summarize life." 

THE TRANSFER 

Vezza finished fourth in his first collegiate event for NMJC, along with helping the team to a couple of tournament titles. However, after three events, he suffered a knee injury and missed the rest of Fall 2023. 

Then, his coach left to take a job at the University of Central Arkansas. 

"In the spring semester, with the absence of Coach Jay Rees, I felt like New Mexico Junior College was no longer the place I wanted to stay," he said. 

So, following his victory at the USW Spring Invitational and contributing to the team's success, which ultimately led to the program's first national championship, he felt the need to search for something new, leading him to Weatherford College. 

And, like before, he immediately found success. With a scoring average of 73.2, he finds himself in the Top 30 of the NJCAA D1 rankings. 

BUSINESS MINDED 

"Ever since I was a kid, my father has always included me in his team meetings in his office and has sparked a strong interest in me to explore and learn about entrepreneurship," Vezza said. "His role requires him to be proactive in managing his company, addressing any sort of issues, and finding ways to make the business grow.  

"It is one thing that I would like to do in case I notice that I'm not in a position down the line where I can become a top-level professional player and therefore focus on continuing my family's legacy in the high-quality food industry." 

But first he does hope to give the pro circuit a try after another year at Weatherford College and transferring to a NCAA Division I program. 

"At the termination of my four-year college journey, I will be able to decide whether to pursue my goal of becoming a professional tour player or pursue a master's degree in sales and follow my father's footprints of becoming a business owner," he said.