In 2015, Ethan Marcus won an NCAA Division II men’s golf championship as a freshman at Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Then he decided he wanted more.
Marcus transferred west, to a larger school and a different climate and culture. Now, the fifth-year senior will try to help the Arizona Wildcats win a title of their own.
“I started talking to my parents about wanting to get away from Florida and look at some bigger programs,” said Marcus, whose Wildcats will take part in the John Burns Intercollegiate starting Thursday in Lihue, Hawaii. “I figured it would be smart if I could get that opportunity to play against the best players in college.”
But beating the best can be a challenge.
Marcus competed in seven tournaments as a junior in 2016-17, shooting a 13-over-par 223 at the Pac-12 Championship to finish in a tie for 40th. Before his senior season began, Marcus struck a deal with coach Jim Anderson.
Marcus decided to redshirt, and while he sat, the Boca Raton, Florida, native would use Arizona’s facilities to improve his game.
Anderson “was on board right away,” Marcus said. “He thought it was a good opportunity for me and for the team.”
Marcus returned last fall, but struggled through his qualifying rounds and failed to earn a spot in the Wildcats’ starting five. He would have to wait until the spring to make his move.
“I wanted to prove to coach, myself and the guys on the team that I think I’m one of the best players on the team,” he said. “I was like, ‘let me prove it now.’”
Marcus showed exactly how much he’s improved when when he rejoined the team in January. He cracked the starting five just in time for the Arizona Intercollegiate, which Arizona won.
Marcus summoned the same consistency that made him a terror on the course as a freshman in Florida. He shot par or better in all three rounds, including a five-under 66 in the final round to finish at 9 under par and in a tie for fifth. He owned the team’s second-lowest individual score.
“It was fun to finally have my name be called in that starting five,” Marcus said. “It was definitely fun to be in a team atmosphere again ... and in contention.”
Marcus’ journey may not have been normal, but he said the game remains the same — whether it’s at a small school or a budding Pac-12 power, in Florida or at Arizona.
“Nothing is really different,” he said. “It’s kind of just doing the same things over and over and letting that all accumulate and let it come to fruition.”
Now he calls winning a national championship at the Division I level “a very realistic goal.”
Marcus’ journey on the golf course has been a whirlwind, but he’s never lost sight of his No. 1 goal, which is to turn pro. It’s one of the reasons why, Marcus said, he transferred to the UA to begin with.
“In the back of my mind, I knew I wanted to be a professional golfer,” he said, “and I didn’t want to be surprised by that.”
