Oct. 22, 2010
By Tom McGuire
Notre Dame junior golfer Max Scodro is leading the way for the Irish men’s golf team this season. The Chicago native, a 2009 all-BIG EAST selection, leads the team this season with a 71.83 stroke average after four tournaments and 12 rounds of play. At the Firestone Invitational, Oct. 11-12, he finished third overall with a seven-under par, 207, helping the team to a second-place finish. The talented junior and his teammates will next be in action Oct. 25-26, when they compete in the St. Mary’s Invitational at the Bayonet & Blackhorse Golf Club in Seaside, Calif. Scodro recently sat down with UND.com’s Tom McGuire to talk more about himself and the Notre Dame golf team.
If you could trade places with your coach for a day, what would you do? If I could trade places with my coach for a day, I would have a solid practice where we work on a lot of short game and iron play. We would then drive to my house and have a team whiffle ball tournament….all while wearing a Boston Red Sox hat.
What five words do you think best describe you? The five words that best describe me are Funny, energetic, competitive, goofy, and happy.
What is your favorite TV show? My favorite TV show would be a toss up between 24 and Entourage, both are really good.
What is your major? Why did you choose that major? I am a history major, with a concentration on 16th and 17th century Europe. I chose to be a history major because it is what interested me the most and it is cool to go to class and learn something new every day.
What is your favorite guilty pleasure song? My favorite guilty pleasure song would be anything by Katy Perry. I love her.
What is the biggest tournament you have ever played in? The biggest tournament that I have played in would be either the Western Amateur or the British Amateur. The British Amateur is cool because there are only a few Americans and you are representing your country in a way. But the Western Am is in Chicago, so it was fun to play in front of my friends and family.
Do you have any rituals or superstitions? I always like to use an old Italian Lira that my girlfriend gave me as my marker. She knew how much I love Italy and it is a perfect coin to mark my putts.
North or South Dining Hall? Why? I absolutely would choose the South! I live in O’Neill so I am a little biased, but I don’t really like North. I get all confused with all of the rooms and I never know where to sit. South Dining Hall all the way!
What is your favorite memory with your teammates? My favorite memory with my teammates would be winning our home tournament last year with the whole team. That was really special. Everyone rallied with each other and after we won we had a great dinner at Gino’s East. It was really cool to have the whole team there because it was our team’s first win in a while and it was nice to share it with the entire group.
Describe your perfect day – who would you spend it with, what would you do, where would you be? My perfect day would be a round of golf at Pebble Beach in the morning with my dad and brother. After that, we’d drive to Yountville and go to the restaurant “The French Laundry” with my close family and friends for dinner. It would be perfect because I would get to go play my favorite course in the United States in the morning and then drive to eat at the best restaurant in the U.S. for dinner.
What is your dream job? My absolute dream job would be to own a restaurant. I love food. If I could one day have my very own restaurant that would be a dream come true.
Where is your favorite place to study on campus? I like studying in the study rooms in O’Neill. It’s nice to have my friends around to help me if I have a question…and get a quick FIFA study break in, if need be.
Where is the most interesting place you have ever traveled? When I was in middle school, my family and I travelled to Turkey. It was so culturally different than anywhere else I had ever been. There was very little Western influence on the culture there and so it was really an eye-opening place to experience.
If you could have dinner with anyone, dead or alive, who would it be? If I could have dinner with anyone, it would be Grant Achatz and Thomas Keller. They are the two best chefs in the US right now and it would be awesome to pick their minds and find out what they think about as they go through a meal.
What is your theme song? My theme song is anything by T-Swift. She’s my girl. Don’t judge.
What is your worst habit? I tend to put off studying and homework until the last minute. That’s probably not the best idea at a school like Notre Dame.
If you didn’t play golf, what other sport would you play? If I didn’t play golf, I would play soccer. I actually always grew up playing soccer until I had to stop midway through high school. I still miss it sometimes.
Who was your role model growing up? Why? My dad has always been my role model. He works so hard in the office, yet he has still never missed one of my golf matches. If I could be half as good of a dad as he is, I would be very happy.
If you could only eat one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be? If I could only eat one thing the rest of my life, it would be The Black Truffle Explosion from the restaurant Alinea, in Chicago. It is the single, most satisfying bite in the world.
What does being a part of the Fighting Irish program mean to you? It means being a part of the school with the best tradition. No school has a better history or tradition than Notre Dame.