Romain Buttarazzi: “Be discerning in your choices”

“Golf is all about dealing with failure. You picture things in your mind, 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.” A culture that didn’t stop 22-year-old Romain Buttarazzi from claiming victory at the French University Golf Championships. He took up the game at age 4 “to be with my dad, who was just starting out too,” and made his debut in national tournaments at age 14 before setting his sights on the international stage two years ago.

“Find solutions quickly”

A love of golf passed down from his passionate grandparents, which Romain attributes first and foremost to “being constantly in touch with nature. “I really love that.” But also by the psychological aspect of a comprehensive sport that 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 rigorous in your choices and believe in your areas of focus.”

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 team since 2017, he helps select players, train young golfers, and develop the club’s athletic program…

“Keep playing as a team”

Juggling two roles isn’t always easy, especially when training season 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 train in the evenings pretty easily.”

While Romain Buttarazzi is truly passionate about the game, he has no plans to turn golf into a 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.” Two fields where the golfer’s patience and discipline should make him a wise advisor.

UM athletes are at the top of their game!

The University of Montpellier honors its student-athletes who have won medals at the World, European, and French University Championships during 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…