In the Course of Play, Friendship Rounds Into Shape

Their imaginations ran wild, as happens with 12-year-olds, as they strolled along the fairways at North Ranch Country Club in 1990.

They talked about their golf futures--playing together in college, turning pro someday.

Sure, it seemed like a mere boyhood fantasy at the time--the figment of two young imaginations. But Ross Fulgentis, now a Westlake High senior, and Hart senior Jason Semelsberger--two of the top high school golfers in the region--were on to something.

They have remained close since those summer days in Thousand Oaks and their friendship has ripened over six years of playing golf, swapping phone calls, spending weekends together and traveling to junior tournaments. And they will face each other again, meeting in the Southern Section individual tournament Monday at Sandpiper Golf Club in Santa Barbara.

But one part of their dream will become a reality in September when they tee off together as teammates on the UCLA golf team.

“It’s really something,” Fulgentis said. “We always talked about it. When we were 12, 13, 14, we both had the same goals.”

Those goals have fueled their friendship even though they started as rivals.

“They’ve always been extremely competitive but it’s always been a friendly rivalry,” said Ron Semelsberger, Jason’s father.

The first time they played against each other, as 11-year-olds, Fulgentis had a lead through nine holes of a Southern California Professional Golf Assn. junior tournament but had a horrible back nine--he shot eight over on the back side--and Semelsberger won.

“It was a long time ago,” Semelsberger said with a smirk that makes it obvious he still relishes the victory. “So I don’t really remember.”

Semelsberger, the son of two UCLA alums, started playing golf when he was 6. His mother Sherrie, such an avid tennis player at the time that the family had a tennis court built in the backyard, injured her knee in a skiing accident and couldn’t play anymore.

She took up golf, and brought Jason to her lessons. His first time out on a course he played at the Vista Valencia par-three course. He shot four over par.

He since has been a member of four Foothill League championship teams at Hart and won countless junior golf events, including the prestigious Maxfli junior championship as a 14-year-old. In 1995, he had eight top-10 finishes in Southern California junior events.

Fulgentis didn’t start playing until he was 10. The son of Jim Fulgentis, a former Florida mini-tour professional golfer and North Ranch Country Club member, was more interested in baseball and soccer.

Then, one summer day, it started.

“I was bored one day so I picked up a club,” Fulgentis said. “And it was addictive. I wanted to get better and better.”

Under his father’s tutelage, Fulgentis did improve. After three months of lessons he took to the very difficult North Ranch course and shot 114.

Westlake teams have won Marmonte League championships every year since Fulgentis arrived and he holds the league individual tournament record. In 1995 he was named the SCPGA junior golfer of the year.

Even though their friendship has developed through those tournaments and high school seasons, the rivalry remains intact.

“Its hard to be close with your toughest competitors even though he’s one of your best friends,” Semelsberger said. “If we’re just hanging out, him and I, then we’re pretty close. But if there’s other people involved, then it’s more difficult to talk about personal stuff.”

Fulgentis agreed, saying that even away from tournament play, the desire to win does not cease.

“It’s more fun when we’re just out screwing around,” Fulgentis said. “But we still put a few dollars on the line to make it interesting. We still want to beat each other.”

That competitive spirit seeps into off-the-course activities as well. They play table tennis and one-on-one basketball with the same intensity as on the golf course.

“Whatever we do, we want to excel at,” Semelsberger said. “In [table tennis] we’ll go out and rip each other apart. In basketball we’ll go out” . . . he pauses a second and tries--unsuccessfully--to conceal a large grin. “I’m far better than him in basketball.”

As far as their golf games are concerned, they are nearly equal in most aspects. Both average about 270 yards off the tee, are deadly accurate with their irons and putt with confidence.

Fulgentis’ strength is his consistency. He averaged 73 during the high school season and could usually be found near that score.

Semelsberger has a knack for raising his level of play under pressure. After shooting an 80 in the first round of the Foothill League tournament, he needed to break par in the second round to qualify for the Southern Section individual championships. He shot a four-under par 68.

“He is very good under pressure,” Fulgentis said. “If he has to make a putt, he probably will.”

While their games are similar, their styles are not.

Semelsberger walks the course casually, golf bag strapped over his shoulder--the two blue and gold UCLA club-head covers sticking out--his facial expression rarely changing.

“You would never know just by watching him if he were five over or five under,” Hart Coach Dennis Ford said. “He always has a positive attitude and if he’s having a bad round, he’ll still grind it to the last putt.”

Fulgentis always plays with intensity. He rarely speaks to other members of his foursome unless it’s golf details--marking a ball or tending the flag.

After he hits he packs up his clubs, adjusts his UCLA hat and strides out toward his ball. To discover how he’s playing, check his stride.

“His pattern is if he’s walking real fast he’s either playing really well or really bad,” Semelsberger said. “He’s got a distinct walk, too. He’s kind of flare-footed and he’s got big feet and he bounces.”

Fulgentis has changed through the years, Semelsberger said.

“His temper has gotten kind of bad since he was younger,” he said. “But I’m sure once he gets to college he’ll calm down a little bit. I’ll have to calm him down.”

The friends chose UCLA so they could be teammates and were recruited together. California offered the same scholarship, 65% of tuition and fees, as UCLA. Cal actually boosted the offer to 75% if only one of them came, but they both passed.

At UCLA, the friendship will be easier to maintain. The players, the latest in a long line of talented golfers from Hart and Westlake, will continue the table tennis and one-on-one basketball games.

And undoubtedly they will head back to Thousand Oaks on a long summer afternoon for a golf match.

And you can bet, even though they will be teammates, the rivalry will remain.

“I’m sure we’ll still be keeping score,” Fulgentis said.