In 2023, then-13-year-old Lucius Niesen from Scotts Valley was on fire on the links. Having taken first place in the Hurricane Junior Golf Tour’s 16th annual National Championship on the Panther Lake Course at Orange County National in Florida, Niesen seemed bound for greatness even then.
He upped the ante in 2024, winning eight tournaments including the California State Championship (eighth grade) when he shot 67-68 at Paradise Valley Golf Club in September, and he won the Hurricane Junior Golf Tour Tournament of Champions (Boys 14-15) at Providence Golf Club in Florida in December as one of the youngest in the field with a 63-70 against more than 80 players. When he shot 63 in the first round, he had a hole-in-one (7 iron from 168 yards) and tied the course record from those tees (6,517 yards).
The 14-year-old is fully sponsored by Taylormade (a golf club company) and recently signed a three year NIL (Name Image Likeness) contract with Trackman (the sport’s premier golf launch monitor company).
As he moves into 2025, Niesen is proving himself yet again as he prepares to host a charity golf tournament this weekend, March 15-16, at his home course of Pasatiempo Golf Club in Santa Cruz County. The Pasatiempo Junior Cup will include about 24 elite top 100 junior golfers (ages 12-18) competing in a team format to promote leadership and teamwork.
Instead of a traditional tournament entry fee, the players are asked to raise at least $1,500 for two charities Niesen selected: Folds of Honor and the AJGA Liberty National ACE Grant. Folds of Honor provides college scholarships to the children of fallen U.S. military men and women, and the AJGA Liberty National ACE Grant provides financial assistance to elite junior golfers who lack financial resources.
Many participating junior golfers are attempting to raise more than the $1,500 minimum in an effort to reflect their charitable giving compassion, and while some athletes would crow about their accomplishments, Niesen takes it all in stride.
“I love the idea of sharing one of my favorite courses in the world, Pasatiempo, with other elite players in a way that helps these cool charities,” he said. “My dad (Travis Niesen, sergeant with Santa Clara Police Department) works so much overtime for me to play in tournaments, and it’d be cool to raise money for a charity that helps other junior golfing families in that way. My dad is friends with some Navy Seals who help me with mental resilience and being ultra tough. They recommended the Folds of Honor charity because it benefits the children of fallen military service members and we really care about education.”
For Travis Niesen, watching his son develop his game is inspiring and humbling.
“It’s easy to support Lucius’ drive in golf because he genuinely loves the sport, he is ultra competitive with an old-school work ethic and has a sincere positive attitude,” said the elder Niesen. “It’s definitely challenging to find the appropriate balance between supporting his drive to constantly improve in golf, while also developing him emotionally, socially and intellectually off the course.”
He added that he learned his son is one of the few top 20 players in the world in his grade that still attends public school and is not home schooled or attending a private specialized full-time golf academy.
“It’s something we can overcome with things like the supportive friends and family in our community, a world class golf course at Pasatiempo and one of the best mentors and swing instructors we can find in Chelso Barrett at Cordevalle,” continued Travis Niesen. “Inviting top junior golfers to Pasatiempo as a host of a charity tournament is a great opportunity to emphasize leadership, teamwork and compassionate charitable giving. Staying humble, de-emphasizing external results and reinforcing controllable values of extreme effort, irrational positivity and tremendous respect on and off the course will bridge that gap.”
Ken Woods, Head Golf Professional at Pasatiempo, finds it easy to celebrate the younger Niesen’s successes due to his drive and dedication to the sport.
“He is by far the best golfer in his age group I have ever been around—no comparison,” Woods said. “Golf is a game that you can play your entire life, whether it’s at Lucius’s level or just recreationally. If Lucius stays on the path he’s currently on, the sky is the limit. He will excel at college and then professionally.”
For Lucius Niesen, it’s all in a day’s work on the course.
“I’d like to be ranked No. 1 for my grade, but my junior golf ranking doesn’t really define me,” he said. “I want to be the most mentally tough competitor in every field, bring a desire to master the basics others haven’t seen and just out-work everyone. I’ve seen so many great players in the world my age, it’s super humbling. The biggest challenge is everyone in the top 20 is getting better and it’s not enough to just improve; I have to improve faster than everyone else. I’ll work that much harder, stay focused on what I can control and everything else will take care of itself.”
For those interested in learning more about the tournament, play will begin around 1pm on March 15-16 at Pasatiempo Golf Club.
“It’s a great opportunity to emphasize charitable giving, leadership and teamwork to elite junior golfers at a world class championship golf course like Pasatiempo,” added Travis Niesen.
Lucius Niesen’s charity tournament fundraising page can be found at this link.
