By TOM ZEBOLD
USF Senior Writer
TAMPA, OCT. 2, 2014 – Oscar Fraustro has dreamt of playing on the PGA Tour for years and it's all become a reality for the former USF men's golfer.
Fraustro, 32, has earned his PGA Tour card for the 2014-15 seasons by finishing in the top 50 on the Web.com Tour. The Chihuahua, Mexico native has been playing golf since age 12 and he's been chasing after PGA Tour qualification since he turned pro in 2006.
“It's an amazing feeling,” Fraustro said in a phone interview earlier this week. “I've been looking for my PGA Tour card for so long. It was a dream, a goal, I set even before going to USF.”
Fraustro's path to the pros started at Brevard Community College and continued at USF, where he played from 2003-04.
“He was a really good player, a smart player, and it was good to have him in the lineup to teach some of the younger players how to play smarter. Oscar made a big impact on our program,” said 1985 USF grad Jim Fee, a former All-American, who coached the Bulls from 1996-2010.
Fraustro still ranks third all-time at USF with a 73.35 scoring average and he posted a tournament victory on the way to graduating with a degree in management information systems in December, 2004. Fraustro also ranks 12th in program history with 206 career birdies.
“Five minutes into (visiting USF) I fell in love with the place. Coach Fee was great to me and they welcomed me with open arms,” Fraustro said. “It was an amazing opportunity and an amazing time. I still remember that as one of the best times in my life.”
Fraustro was the top-ranked amateur in Mexico from 2003-05 and he earned rookie of the year honors on the Mexican Tour in 2006. Fraustro also spent time on the Gateway Tour and the Asian Tour and he competed on the Web.com Tour since 2013 after excelling on PGA Tour Latinoamerica.
“I never stopped looking at my goal,” Fraustro said. “There were some moments throughout these eight years or so that have been very difficult in many different ways. My wife and my parents helped show me the big picture and showed me what is ahead. If I put the work into it and if I stayed patient, I knew that it was going to happen when it was the right time for me and it finally did.”
Fraustro punched his ticket to the PGA Tour by collecting three top-10 finishes on the Web.com Tour, including a tie for fourth at the Chiquita Classic that placed him 43rd on the money list. Fraustro got to celebrate the huge feat with his wife of three years, Nilufer, and their 2-year-old son, Lucas. The Fraustros now live in Jupiter, Fla., after spending six years in Scottsdale, Ariz.
“To finally reach the PGA Tour it's hard to describe,” he said. “I'm very excited, very proud of it, and I'm looking forward to the new challenges.”
Fraustro said he hopes to compete in the Frys.com Open next week in Napa, Calif., and he plans to come back to campus for a visit when the PGA Tour swings through the Tampa Bay area later in the season. Fraustro said he's “excited to be a part of” the USF program that was ranked No. 8 nationally by Golfweek earlier this week.
“Because of what those guys are doing more people are learning about USF and the golf program,” he said. “Now when they realized that I went there people are like, 'Oh, you guys are doing so well.' That's a good feeling.”
