But his arrival in the US – while ensuring his safety – came at a price.
His mother would soon return to Ukraine to be with his father, who had to remain under martial law, and with his grandparents. Although Golod thinks his grandparents and mother will travel to the US, he is not sure when he will see his father, Oleg, again.
While he values his safety, the fact that the majority of his family is back in Ukraine amid the Russian invasion of the country weighs heavily on him.
“It’s very devastating, but luckily they all have Wi-Fi and a source of internet, food and water, and I can still talk to them and make sure they’re safe,” he told DailyExpertNews’s Jim Sciutto. “And I know that when it’s all over, I’ll definitely bring them here to be with me.”
Golod added: “My father will not be able to leave until martial law ends. Otherwise he will have to stay there and we hope for the best.”
‘bombing’
Golod told DailyExpertNews he spent a week and a half in the Russian “bombing” of Ukraine’s capital because the “explosions weren’t so close to our home.”
“But… the moment we knew the bombing was on our city, we knew we had to leave and get me out and then my parents would come back and get their parents out,” he explained.
And it was Goldod’s links to golf that provided him with a path to the US.
The 15-year-old is one of the best young golfers in Ukraine and has competed in competitions all over the world.
Last year, Goldod became the first Ukrainian to compete in the United States Golf Association’s (USGA) US Junior Amateur, which took place last summer at the Country Club of North Carolina.
After a grueling 5,000-mile journey, starting in a car and ending when he landed in Orlando, which took about 54 hours, it was a visa he obtained playing in a tournament in the US that helped him land. to come back in.
And safe in the US, Goldod condemned what is happening in his homeland.
“Something that happens in Ukraine should not happen in the middle of Europe in the 21st century,” he said. “Children lose their homes, they die, they lose their lives.
“And it’s devastating, and people should know the truth because there’s a lot of fake news going around. But in reality, what’s happening is the whole country is being destroyed. It’s not demilitarization or denationalization, it’s actually being destroyed by ( Vladimir) Putin, and it must stop.”
Worldwide recognition
While still in Kiev, Golod’s plight began to become widespread on the internet after an interview with Golf Digest revealed the plight of him and his family.
And the interview led to members of the golf community starting to get excited about helping his situation.
Nugent told DailyExpertNews Sport that reading Golod’s story “played a bit for my soul,” which is why he and Leadbetter offered their help.
“And so I called (Leadbetter) and we talked about it and he said, ‘Well, we need to do something about this.’ And I said, ‘What do you have in mind?’ He said: “We will get him out of Ukraine. We’ll take him to my academy in Orlando, Florida, and I’ll get him to school and he’ll start a new life,” Nugent explained, saying at first he thought the plan was “a little far-fetched.”
And so they started doing what they could to help Golod and his family with their journey.
Nugent explains that he spent time on the phone getting financial commitments from the USGA and the Country Club of North Carolina to help his journey from Ukraine.
Seeing this outpouring of support “means the world” to Golod, Nugent says.
“I don’t know if it’s fair to say we saved a life, but the arc of his life has definitely changed forever,” Nugent told DailyExpertNews Sport.
“To me it’s just a reaffirmation of something that I think is absolute. And that’s in times of need, this game, this golf community, as you just mentioned, always comes up; it always has, and it will always remain that way. And this is just in my mind reaffirmation of that very absolute fact.”
Arriving in the US, Golod spent his early days acclimating, arranging a phone, bank account and other necessities for life in a foreign country.
His mother, Vita, helped her son settle down before traveling back a few days later to be with her husband.
Leadbetter and his golf academy have accommodated Golod, with the young golfer staying with his assistant as he continues to adjust to life in the US.
While unsure about his long-term future in the US, Golod says he will study in the country after completing the final years of high school there.
And Nugent believes Golod’s skill with a golf club will help him and his future in the US.
“Leadbetter has seen him swing and says this kid has real potential,” he explained. “And so I think the goal will be to try and use his ability to hopefully go to college in America and play golf. I don’t know if that means a big college school or if you’re talking about something smaller or more modest .
But he does seem to have enough skills to earn some form of financial aid, a financial scholarship to an American university. And so I think that will be the goal.’
Accommodating
Goldod’s life has been turned upside down with his move across the world.
But efforts are being made to make his time in the US as pleasant as possible given the situation.
During his time at the event, Golod met some of the sport’s greatest players, PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan, and even managed to walk into the ropes with some groups, giving him an unobstructed view of the highest level of golf. .
Golod described it as “the best day of his life.”
But it didn’t stop there. Nugent explained that Golod had loaned out a set of golf clubs — because “his still haven’t arrived,” according to Nugent — and actually played the famous TPC Sawgrass course.
Going through what he’s been through is unimaginable for most, and while he’s safe, his family is never far from his thoughts.
“I am very grateful to everyone who has contributed to my presence here and it is wonderful that I can continue to pursue my goals in academic and athletic fields. But at the same time it is very, very nerve-racking to have my whole family back in Ukraine.”
