When Cal Poly Men’s Golf coach Phil Rowe decided to take his team on a trip to England and Ireland this season, his objective was to take the players to see the game internationally, learn new courses and see different traditions of golf. Though the squad was primed to compete at the Lyon Links Invitational in Ireland, none of the players were expected to win.
But Baron Szeto had other plans. The senior golfer won his second collegiate tournament by beating competitors from four different schools.
Szeto has impressed in Cal Poly Men’s Golf’s 2024-25 fall season, finding victory in Ireland and coming in second at the California Alister Mackenzie Invitational just a week later. During the Alister Mackenzie Invitational tournament, Szeto set the Cal Poly men’s golf single-round record with 63 strokes, and the three-round record with an 18-under 195 score at the par-71 Meadow Club.
Though his performances have won him international tournaments and Big West Player of the Month honors, the Moraga, California native’s beginnings in golf were humble.
It began with trips to the range with his dad.
When Szeto was just 3-years old, his dad would take him to the range to play.
Using his dad’s clubs, he would hit 30-yard shots down the middle that became his first experiences with the sport. This led to the purchase of his first set of clubs, and the rest was history.
His father’s influence even bled into his play style; he became a right-handed golfer despite being left-handed because his dad bought him a right-handed set of clubs when he was learning to play.
Even after his father stopped playing golf himself, he would still drive him to practice and tournaments, solidifying a familial bond that has inspired his aspirations to become a pro golfer.
“I’ve always wanted to be a pro golfer ever since I was young,” Szeto said.”I don’t know if there’s an individual that has inspired me, but just seeing my parents work really hard for what they want to achieve in life made me kind of a dedicated, hard working and passionate person, and I chose to play golf.”
These professional aspirations drove him to take the game seriously, leading to his first big tournament victory as a freshman at Campolindo High School.
Szeto competed at Wood Ranch Golf Club in Oak Park, California, and despite feeling the pressure of the moment, he was able to capture the win, which gave him a glimpse of what he could accomplish as a golfer.
His achievements in high school led him to Cal Poly, where he experienced another period of growth within the game. As a true freshman, Szeto led the team with a 73.6 scoring average over 32 rounds and placed fourth at the Big West Championship.
He found success in his sophomore season as well, tying for first place at the championships before his junior season, where he was named to the All-Big West Second Team and once again finished fourth at the Big West Championships.
So far this season, Szeto’s scoring average has lowered from 72.9 to 68.7. Coach Rowe has seen the golfer’s growth throughout his years at Cal Poly and attributes his success to his hard work.
“It’s been a wonderful evolution for Baron,” Rowe said. “He came in as a strong player, but has grown through frustration and taken advantage of growth opportunities. I’m particularly proud of how he pursues it through the summer months as well.”
The summer months were busy for Szeto this offseason, as he qualified for his first PGA Tour event by shooting an eight-under 63 at the Barracuda Open Qualifier to reach the Barracuda Championship that ran from July 18 to 21. He was the first Cal Poly golfer to compete in the event since 2016 and the first to compete in a PGA event since 2022.
Though he didn’t make the top 65 cutoff in the event, the experience helped him become a better player leading up to the current season.
In the first tournament of the year, Szeto placed 50th individually at Toledo’s Inverness Intercollegiate Tournament, and then came the United Kingdom trip.
‘Ireland was solely a business trip’
Getting off the plane and being in Europe for the first time was a cool experience for Szeto, but the moment didn’t distract him and the rest of the team.
“We were really focused, just like any other golf trip we would take,” Szeto said. “Ireland was solely a business trip.”
The focus showed immediately in the event, as four Mustangs, including Szeto, were in the top 12 individually after the first round. The second round was also successful, with sophomore Leo Metzger sitting at a tied ninth and Szeto tying for sixth with a three-shot deficit behind first place.
Szeto wasn’t thinking about the leaderboard, though; he was focused only on giving his all to every stroke.
“I was just trying to, you know, be able to hit each shot with full commitment, full intention, and then play and add the score up,” said Szeto.
Down three strokes, the senior came back in the final round by shooting a five-under 67 to tie for first, forcing a playoff with Maynooth University’s Ryan Griffin.
The players tied on the first hole, but Szeto won the second playoff hole to secure his second collegiate tournament victory. After the final putt, his teammates crowded around him, and they all celebrated.
“That was the best feeling in the world,” said Szeto. “A win from one of us is a win for all of us, so to be able to celebrate that with them was really, really something special.”
Szeto’s performance earned him Big West Player of the Month honors, and his successes have been inspiring the entire squad.
“We’ve got some young players, and seeing that success, knowing his journey and his growth perhaps gives them a little more patience to be true to the process, true to themselves and express themselves and just trust the process,” said Rowe.
However, it’s not only his play but his character that has influenced everyone.
“He’s an incredible golfer, but he’s such a good dude, as a leader, and he’s such a role model for me and all of us,” Metzger said. “When I’m a senior, I hope I can have that same effect on my teammates.”
With his upbringing behind him, Szeto hopes to finish in the top 25 in the collegiate rankings for the senior class in order to earn an exemption into the PGA Tour, something he’s dreamed of doing since he was young.
“I’ve been watching it since I was young, and it’s just inspiring, seeing the guys, how hard they work and be able to do what they do, and just seeing the best in the world play the game that I love,” Szeto said.