Romain Buttarazzi: “Be thorough in your choices”

“Golf is a culture of failure. You visualize things, and 99% of the time you don’t manage to do exactly what you wanted! You have to learn to come up with new solutions quickly.” That culture didn’t stop 22-year-old Romain Buttarazzi from claiming victory at the French Collegiate Golf Championships. He first picked up a club at age 4 “to be with my dad, who was also just starting out,” and made his debut in national tournaments at age 14 before setting his sights on the international stage two years ago.

"Finding solutions quickly"

A love of golf passed down from his passionate grandparents, which Romain attributes first and foremost to “constant contact with nature. “I really love that.” But also because of the psychological aspect of this well-rounded sport, which demands “patience, strategy, tenacity, and a great deal of humility. You can very quickly lose your confidence in the moment and have to rebuild everything from scratch. You have to be disciplined in your choices and believe in the areas you’re focusing on.”

A finance student at Montpellier Management, Romain—who has just completed his master’s degree—balanced his studies with an active role at the Nîmes Campagne Golf Club. As captain of the Coupe de France since 2017, he has been involved in selecting players, training young golfers, and developing the club’s sports program…

"Keep playing as a team"

Juggling two roles isn’t always easy, especially when training camp rolls around. “It’s a matter of organization and determination—I’ve always operated that way. I’ve never asked for a flexible schedule, and for the past two years I’ve been lucky enough to live right next to the golf course, so I can go practice in the evenings pretty easily.”

Although Romain Buttarazzi is truly passionate about the game, he has no plans to make golf his career and hopes to remain an amateur, “mainly so I can continue playing on a team, which I wouldn’t be able to do as a professional.” As for his future—having just defended his master’s thesis—he envisions it “in finance or real estate.” These are two fields where the golfer’s patience and discipline should make him a sound advisor.

UM AthletesUM the Top!

The University of Montpellier honors its medalists from the World, European, and French University Championships at an annual ceremony organized by SUAPS. Read the profiles of these champions who juggle the demanding dual life of being both a student and an athlete. Read all the profiles…