Esteban Toledo

OYE OPEN YOUR EYES

OYE MAGAZINE

On the Green
With professional golfer Esteban Toledo

PHOTOGRAPHY C.W. Evans Photography

We all know a special someone who’s achieved success despite serious obstacles. There’s the guy who gets out of gangs and becomes a successful businessman. Or the kid from the Bronx who makes it out of the projects to become a famous ball player. Then there’s Esteban Toledo: one of only a handful of Latino golfers to ever play on the PGA Tour. Yet that’s not what makes him so special. To truly appreciate Esteban Toledo’s life you have to appreciate, not how much money he’s made as a golfer, but how very far he has come. There are few people I know of who started life with so little, yet have accomplished so much. You think you had it tough growing up in the ghetto? Think again. Esteban was born in Mexicali, Mexico, into a family of eleven children. The first years of his life where spent in a pieced-together shack with dirt floors and no plumbing or electricity. Even the poorest families in America would have trouble with conditions Esteban faced every day of his life. That a kid in such an environment would even dream of joining that most elite rank of athletes, professional golfers, is remarkable enough. That such a kid would actually grow up to do it, is incredible.

CLICK HERE TO ORDER A COPY OF BACK ISSUE #2.9
FEATURING ESTEBAN TOLEDO

Tell us what your childhood was like.
We were ten: five brothers and five sisters. There were eleven of us, but I lost my brother. I grew up very poor in what I call a nasty barn. But actually a barn is better than my old house. I just learned to survive by myself because my parents couldn’t take care of us. I lost my father when I was ten, so basically I had to run around trying to work and do all kinds of crazy things. We had to learn how to make money. At the age of five or six, I used to go out and sing songs on the buses for food. I’d sing songs with a little beat-up guitar pretending that I was a singer, but basically begging for money. I didn’t have any shoes and I’d end up getting home at midnight, sometimes four or five times a week. Those days were pretty sad, but I learned so much from them, like not to take things for granted. Now what I have, I really appreciate.

As if your living conditions weren’t enough to contend with, you lost your brother and father during the same year. How did that happen and how did it affect you?
Yes, first my father died and then my brother drowned. But he didn’t really “drown.” We believe that someone killed him. Once before he died, we found him beaten up on the ground when we got home. We asked him what happened, but he never told us. A few months later it happened again, so we knew that something was going on. The third time we found him in the water, in a lake close to our home. I knew there was something wrong because my brother was a very good swimmer. We never knew the real answer, but we knew it was just time for us to leave that little place for the city.

You almost became a boxer as a young man.
I started boxing because I wanted a rematch with this kid that kept beating me up in school for three months. Finally, my brother took me to the gym. I started learning and got pretty good at it, but I never thought I would become a professional boxer. It was one of those things that just clicked, and I got bigger and bigger and stronger. Then my brother said, “Hey why don’t you just turn pro, maybe it’ll work maybe not.” One of the reasons I turned professional was so I could take care of my mom. She worked so hard in her life and I’ve always been a family man, so I wanted to take care of my mom and my brothers and sisters.

You had a very promising boxing career, with a record of 12-1. Tell us how your boxing dreams were thrown off.
I got appendicitis. My appendix burst. I went to the hospital and almost died. The operation saved me, but after I got back home the incision got infected and they had to open it again. I decided to quit because of all the punches that you receive in the area where I had been operated. I guess God took it away from me because he had something better for me. But I didn’t realize it at the time.

How did you go from that into golf?
When I was a boxer I used to jog every night with my brother Mario at the country club. We used to jog twenty-seven holes every single day and at the time I was just hitting balls here and there a little bit. After I decided to quit boxing, I decided to play golf with my friends and work at the same time. I was a bartender at the country club. I started playing golf and was just trying to beat my brother. But then I moved to the driving range and started hitting balls and all of a sudden got better and better. I used to just play on Mondays because that was the only day we had to play. I don’t know what happened. To this day I don’t know what the transition was. I just don’t know, I got very good at it. I was to play my first golf tournament in Obregon, Mexico and a friend of mine from San Diego said that if I won the tournament he was going to get me a brand new set of clubs. He just did it because, I don’t know, maybe he thought, this guy can’t win, but I went down and won. Then I came back and the guy gave me a brand new set of clubs. I will never forget it was Wilson clubs. From then I just took off.

So how did you brother feel once you could beat him?
Well, obviously he didn’t like it. Even ‘til this day my brother Leo tells me, “It’s amazing what you have done in those years. I used to beat you all the time and now you’re one of the best players in the world!” So it’s kind of shocking, but I guess when you practice and you dedicate your time and have the determination that I had for boxing, it really helped my game.

You said that you worked as a bartender. What other jobs did you take to make ends meet?
I used to pick cotton and tomatoes. I used to make money to go to school. I used to pick 100 kilos of cotton in the morning. My brother Leo and I would come back home about noon, cook ourselves a meal, then go to school. Then I would bartend part-time and polish shoes and all kinds of stuff just to survive and make a little money so I could go to school.

How did you adjust from being a fighter to the finesse and patience required to play golf?
My whole life I have one thing that I believe and that is to not give up. Golf to me is about determination and discipline. That’s something I had as a boxer so I used it in golf. To become one of the best you have to have discipline. I don’t drink or smoke. I take care of myself and I always believe that I can, just like when I was boxing. The only difference is that in boxing there is only one guy in front of you. You don’t have to worry about 155 guys. So I just worry about the golf course. If you start to think about having to beat all those guys, you’re not going to do it. You just have to play your own game.

Who are your role models on tour?
I am very good friends with Peter Jacobson. I’ve always liked Crenshaw and Watson, but my favorite is Greg Norman.

Although they have been few, there have been some pretty big Latino golfers like Lee Trevino, Chi Chi Rodriguez, and Nancy Lopez. Nevertheless that hasn’t really seemed to create a new generation of Latino golfers. Do you see an increase in the participation of Latino golfers happening any time soon?
Definitely. I believe that there will be so many Latinos coming up. They want to be better than me, better than Carlos Franco, better than Nancy Lopez. But there is a little difference with those people you mentioned. They are Latinos, but they are Americans. I think people want to see more people from Latin American countries.

You think that is going to happen?
Oh, it is going to happen, because I see it happening already. Carlos is from Paraguay and I am from Mexico. We’re the only two Latinos from the other side of the border…I think in the next four, five years there is going to be a lot of Latinos—both male and female.

How often do you go back to Mexico and what is that like for you?
It is just a little different, although I haven’t really changed. I’m still myself. I go back maybe twice a year to see my brothers and sisters, because I don’t have a lot of time…not because I think I’m too good already, but I am just too busy doing other things here.

Would you ever return to Mexico to help promote junior golf once you retire?
Probably yes. It’s always been one of my dreams to help kids play and encourage them to get to the top. Sometimes they just don’t believe in themselves and I think that is one of the keys.

Some people criticize Tiger for not being a good ambassador for black people in the game? Do you think you have a responsibility beyond your golf playing as one of the very few Latino golfers?
Well, I don’t know how [Tiger] treats his people. If you see Tiger on the street you will know what he is. If you see me on the street you’ll know what I am. I cannot say I’m Chinese, because I’m not Chinese. If I tell people that I’m Portuguese when I’m Mexican, well I have a problem with myself. And if Tiger doesn’t believe he’s black, well then he’s probably going to have a problem with himself. But that is all up to him. Whatever he believes he is, he’s going to believe he is. People are not going to change him. I think Tiger is a great ambassador for his own people. But if he doesn’t want to take it that way, then I don’t have a problem…I’m Mexican and I want to do things for my people. Even when I see Mexican or Latino guys speaking Spanish I speak to them and I help them and encourage them…I’m Mexican. I’m not Portuguese. I’m not Chinese. I am Mexican and that’s what I will always be. That is the bottom line. If a Chinese doesn’t want to admit he’s Chinese well he’s going to have a problem. The only thing I can say is that I’m a Latino, and I’m a Latino from over there. And I am proud to be who I am and where I came from.

Do you see many Latinos supporting you on the road?
Oh a lot. Oh my gosh, I hear people speaking Spanish and even American, white people cheering for me, my story, my life and how I struggled. It’s unbelievable.

Of all the Majors which would be your dream to win and why?
I’d like to win the British Open. The reason is because I have always dreamt to play the British Open, to play golf where it was created, in Scotland.

You went toe to toe with Tiger Woods down the stretch of last year’s Buick Open. Do you ever think back to that and wish things had worked out differently?
You know, I really thought I was going to win the tournament, and a lot of people were cheering for me. They were pulling for Tiger on the front nine and then switched and started cheering for me on the back nice because I caught him and was right there. But when you go toe to toe with Tiger I don’t care what day or what the circumstances are, you’re going to have a hard time. Because, obviously, he is the best player in the world at this moment, and to beat Tiger in the last group when he is one stroke ahead is very difficult. I like playing with Tiger because he is a nice guy, minds his own business and is very focused. I’m the same way. If I could play with Tiger every single day, I’d love it! It’s just all the people that move around every time he finishes and leaves you there is what I don’t like. At least next time if I play him I’ll be more focused and not pay attention to all the people around him and play the golf course. He is beatable. I also learned so much from him because he is so focused. I was granted one of the greatest experiences to go toe to toe with him. It was great.

Last year your official winnings on the tour were close to $800,000. How did it make you feel to think back to your humble beginnings and realize you made almost a million dollars hitting a little white ball around?
It is kind of like a dream come true. I’ve always believed that I was going to make a lot of money. I’ve always had that mentality. That is why I am where I am today. I have a hard time thinking about what I used to do and what I used to have at the time. And now that I have everything that I never had before, sometimes when I am on the golf course, for a few seconds, I cannot believe I’m there. I feel like I’m dreaming and I don’t want to wake up. It is interesting.

I really believe that if you’re good enough to do something you can do it, but you need a little push. I had my help. When I was in Mexicali an American couple took me from Mexico to San Jose, California to live in their home…If I had not met them I may still be in Mexicali polishing shoes.

What words of advice would you have for our young Latino men?
My advice is to believe in yourself. Believe that you can do whatever you want to do if you give 100 percent effort.
And, do not give up your dreams. That is the advice I can give to all people. Don’t give up your dreams.

To find out more about Esteban Toledo visit his web site at estebantoledo.com. Esteban is also Ambassador for the Get A Grip Foundation, which strives to make golf more accessible to underprivileged kids. Visit their web site at getagripfoundation.com.)

OPEN YOUR EYES MAGAZINE
THE HOTTEST LATINO MAGAZINE IN AMERICA!

© 2003 Tlahtoani Media Group, LLC
The Latin Magazine featuring hot Latinas, beautiful Latinas, Latina models, Latin girls, Latin women, Latin models



	OYE	OPEN YOUR EYES
OYE MAGAZINE
			On the Green With professional golfer Esteban Toledo PHOTOGRAPHY C.W. Evans Photography We all know a special someone who’s achieved success despite serious obstacles. There’s the guy who gets out of gangs and becomes a successful businessman. Or the kid from the Bronx who makes it out of the projects to become a famous ball player. Then there’s Esteban Toledo: one of only a handful of Latino golfers to ever play on the PGA Tour. Yet that’s not what makes him so special. To truly appreciate Esteban Toledo’s life you have to appreciate, not how much money he’s made as a golfer, but how very far he has come. There are few people I know of who started life with so little, yet have accomplished so much. You think you had it tough growing up in the ghetto? Think again. Esteban was born in Mexicali, Mexico, into a family of eleven children. The first years of his life where spent in a pieced-together shack with dirt floors and no plumbing or electricity. Even the poorest families in America would have trouble with conditions Esteban faced every day of his life. That a kid in such an environment would even dream of joining that most elite rank of athletes, professional golfers, is remarkable enough. That such a kid would actually grow up to do it, is incredible.
	CLICK HERE TO ORDER A COPY OF BACK ISSUE #2.9 FEATURING ESTEBAN TOLEDO
	Tell us what your childhood was like. We were ten: five brothers and five sisters. There were eleven of us, but I lost my brother. I grew up very poor in what I call a nasty barn. But actually a barn is better than my old house. I just learned to survive by myself because my parents couldn’t take care of us. I lost my father when I was ten, so basically I had to run around trying to work and do all kinds of crazy things. We had to learn how to make money. At the age of five or six, I used to go out and sing songs on the buses for food. I’d sing songs with a little beat-up guitar pretending that I was a singer, but basically begging for money. I didn’t have any shoes and I’d end up getting home at midnight, sometimes four or five times a week. Those days were pretty sad, but I learned so much from them, like not to take things for granted. Now what I have, I really appreciate. As if your living conditions weren’t enough to contend with, you lost your brother and father during the same year. How did that happen and how did it affect you? Yes, first my father died and then my brother drowned. But he didn’t really “drown.” We believe that someone killed him. Once before he died, we found him beaten up on the ground when we got home. We asked him what happened, but he never told us. A few months later it happened again, so we knew that something was going on. The third time we found him in the water, in a lake close to our home. I knew there was something wrong because my brother was a very good swimmer. We never knew the real answer, but we knew it was just time for us to leave that little place for the city. You almost became a boxer as a young man. I started boxing because I wanted a rematch with this kid that kept beating me up in school for three months. Finally, my brother took me to the gym. I started learning and got pretty good at it, but I never thought I would become a professional boxer. It was one of those things that just clicked, and I got bigger and bigger and stronger. Then my brother said, “Hey why don’t you just turn pro, maybe it’ll work maybe not.” One of the reasons I turned professional was so I could take care of my mom. She worked so hard in her life and I’ve always been a family man, so I wanted to take care of my mom and my brothers and sisters. You had a very promising boxing career, with a record of 12-1. Tell us how your boxing dreams were thrown off. I got appendicitis. My appendix burst. I went to the hospital and almost died. The operation saved me, but after I got back home the incision got infected and they had to open it again. I decided to quit because of all the punches that you receive in the area where I had been operated. I guess God took it away from me because he had something better for me. But I didn’t realize it at the time. How did you go from that into golf? When I was a boxer I used to jog every night with my brother Mario at the country club. We used to jog twenty-seven holes every single day and at the time I was just hitting balls here and there a little bit. After I decided to quit boxing, I decided to play golf with my friends and work at the same time. I was a bartender at the country club. I started playing golf and was just trying to beat my brother. But then I moved to the driving range and started hitting balls and all of a sudden got better and better. I used to just play on Mondays because that was the only day we had to play. I don’t know what happened. To this day I don’t know what the transition was. I just don’t know, I got very good at it. I was to play my first golf tournament in Obregon, Mexico and a friend of mine from San Diego said that if I won the tournament he was going to get me a brand new set of clubs. He just did it because, I don’t know, maybe he thought, this guy can’t win, but I went down and won. Then I came back and the guy gave me a brand new set of clubs. I will never forget it was Wilson clubs. From then I just took off. So how did you brother feel once you could beat him? Well, obviously he didn’t like it. Even ‘til this day my brother Leo tells me, “It’s amazing what you have done in those years. I used to beat you all the time and now you’re one of the best players in the world!” So it’s kind of shocking, but I guess when you practice and you dedicate your time and have the determination that I had for boxing, it really helped my game. You said that you worked as a bartender. What other jobs did you take to make ends meet? I used to pick cotton and tomatoes. I used to make money to go to school. I used to pick 100 kilos of cotton in the morning. My brother Leo and I would come back home about noon, cook ourselves a meal, then go to school. Then I would bartend part-time and polish shoes and all kinds of stuff just to survive and make a little money so I could go to school. How did you adjust from being a fighter to the finesse and patience required to play golf? My whole life I have one thing that I believe and that is to not give up. Golf to me is about determination and discipline. That’s something I had as a boxer so I used it in golf. To become one of the best you have to have discipline. I don’t drink or smoke. I take care of myself and I always believe that I can, just like when I was boxing. The only difference is that in boxing there is only one guy in front of you. You don’t have to worry about 155 guys. So I just worry about the golf course. If you start to think about having to beat all those guys, you’re not going to do it. You just have to play your own game. Who are your role models on tour? I am very good friends with Peter Jacobson. I’ve always liked Crenshaw and Watson, but my favorite is Greg Norman. Although they have been few, there have been some pretty big Latino golfers like Lee Trevino, Chi Chi Rodriguez, and Nancy Lopez. Nevertheless that hasn’t really seemed to create a new generation of Latino golfers. Do you see an increase in the participation of Latino golfers happening any time soon? Definitely. I believe that there will be so many Latinos coming up. They want to be better than me, better than Carlos Franco, better than Nancy Lopez. But there is a little difference with those people you mentioned. They are Latinos, but they are Americans. I think people want to see more people from Latin American countries. You think that is going to happen? Oh, it is going to happen, because I see it happening already. Carlos is from Paraguay and I am from Mexico. We’re the only two Latinos from the other side of the border…I think in the next four, five years there is going to be a lot of Latinos—both male and female. How often do you go back to Mexico and what is that like for you? It is just a little different, although I haven’t really changed. I’m still myself. I go back maybe twice a year to see my brothers and sisters, because I don’t have a lot of time…not because I think I’m too good already, but I am just too busy doing other things here. Would you ever return to Mexico to help promote junior golf once you retire? Probably yes. It’s always been one of my dreams to help kids play and encourage them to get to the top. Sometimes they just don’t believe in themselves and I think that is one of the keys. Some people criticize Tiger for not being a good ambassador for black people in the game? Do you think you have a responsibility beyond your golf playing as one of the very few Latino golfers? Well, I don’t know how [Tiger] treats his people. If you see Tiger on the street you will know what he is. If you see me on the street you’ll know what I am. I cannot say I’m Chinese, because I’m not Chinese. If I tell people that I’m Portuguese when I’m Mexican, well I have a problem with myself. And if Tiger doesn’t believe he’s black, well then he’s probably going to have a problem with himself. But that is all up to him. Whatever he believes he is, he’s going to believe he is. People are not going to change him. I think Tiger is a great ambassador for his own people. But if he doesn’t want to take it that way, then I don’t have a problem…I’m Mexican and I want to do things for my people. Even when I see Mexican or Latino guys speaking Spanish I speak to them and I help them and encourage them…I’m Mexican. I’m not Portuguese. I’m not Chinese. I am Mexican and that’s what I will always be. That is the bottom line. If a Chinese doesn’t want to admit he’s Chinese well he’s going to have a problem. The only thing I can say is that I’m a Latino, and I’m a Latino from over there. And I am proud to be who I am and where I came from. Do you see many Latinos supporting you on the road? Oh a lot. Oh my gosh, I hear people speaking Spanish and even American, white people cheering for me, my story, my life and how I struggled. It’s unbelievable. Of all the Majors which would be your dream to win and why? I’d like to win the British Open. The reason is because I have always dreamt to play the British Open, to play golf where it was created, in Scotland. You went toe to toe with Tiger Woods down the stretch of last year’s Buick Open. Do you ever think back to that and wish things had worked out differently? You know, I really thought I was going to win the tournament, and a lot of people were cheering for me. They were pulling for Tiger on the front nine and then switched and started cheering for me on the back nice because I caught him and was right there. But when you go toe to toe with Tiger I don’t care what day or what the circumstances are, you’re going to have a hard time. Because, obviously, he is the best player in the world at this moment, and to beat Tiger in the last group when he is one stroke ahead is very difficult. I like playing with Tiger because he is a nice guy, minds his own business and is very focused. I’m the same way. If I could play with Tiger every single day, I’d love it! It’s just all the people that move around every time he finishes and leaves you there is what I don’t like. At least next time if I play him I’ll be more focused and not pay attention to all the people around him and play the golf course. He is beatable. I also learned so much from him because he is so focused. I was granted one of the greatest experiences to go toe to toe with him. It was great. Last year your official winnings on the tour were close to $800,000. How did it make you feel to think back to your humble beginnings and realize you made almost a million dollars hitting a little white ball around? It is kind of like a dream come true. I’ve always believed that I was going to make a lot of money. I’ve always had that mentality. That is why I am where I am today. I have a hard time thinking about what I used to do and what I used to have at the time. And now that I have everything that I never had before, sometimes when I am on the golf course, for a few seconds, I cannot believe I’m there. I feel like I’m dreaming and I don’t want to wake up. It is interesting. I really believe that if you’re good enough to do something you can do it, but you need a little push. I had my help. When I was in Mexicali an American couple took me from Mexico to San Jose, California to live in their home…If I had not met them I may still be in Mexicali polishing shoes. What words of advice would you have for our young Latino men? My advice is to believe in yourself. Believe that you can do whatever you want to do if you give 100 percent effort. And, do not give up your dreams. That is the advice I can give to all people. Don’t give up your dreams. To find out more about Esteban Toledo visit his web site at estebantoledo.com. Esteban is also Ambassador for the Get A Grip Foundation, which strives to make golf more accessible to underprivileged kids. Visit their web site at getagripfoundation.com.)
OPEN YOUR EYES MAGAZINE THE HOTTEST LATINO MAGAZINE IN AMERICA! © 2003 Tlahtoani Media Group, LLC The Latin Magazine featuring hot Latinas, beautiful Latinas, Latina models, Latin girls, Latin women, Latin models