FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – One of the most decorated players in program history, who now competes professionally on both the European and Challenge Tours, former Nova Southeastern men's golfer Richard Mansell has been selected as the latest GEICO Alumni of the Month.
Mansell proved to be an incredibly special player in his three years as a Shark. Joining the program as a sophomore in 2014-15, the native of Staffordshire, England made an instant impact by individually winning the NCAA Division II Men's South/Southeast Super Regional, before just a few weeks later, helping NSU bring home its second-ever national championship. Mansell would eventually go on to collect a combined 24 Top-10 finishes during his illustrious career, earning All-America honors in each of his three seasons. As a senior, he was named a finalist for the Jack Nicklaus Division II Player of the Year award, and even represented Team Europe during the 2017 Arnold Palmer Cup. His career numbers still currently rank him second all-time in: wins (5), scoring average (71.72), rounds of par or better (60) and total birdies (409).
"Winning a national championship in my first season at NSU was amazing," Mansell said recently. "Sharing those memories with your friends was something in golf we don't get to do very often. Even then, I honestly just miss being a student-athlete."
Carrying those fond memories with him, Mansell has since began making a name for himself now just three short years later while competing internationally as a pro on the Challenge Tour - although his most recent success arrived in only his second start on the European Tour. Battling soggy conditions a few weeks back in Austria in mid-July, Mansell entered the final round of the Euram Bank Open among the final group before ultimately finishing runner-up at 12-under par in the 144-player field.
"It was a new feeling for me on the golf course, and I loved every single minute of it," said Mansell. "It was only my second start on the European Tour, so to be in the final group with a chance to win with a couple of holes left was my greatest achievement yet. I've always played better when there is more pressure on the line, as I feel it narrows my focus. This brings the best out in me so I'm excited to hopefully put myself in more situations like that again soon. I know I can win at any level so I'm going to keep doing what I'm doing, improving day by day, and I know with my work ethic, good things will happen."
Mansell has a busy playing schedule ahead, including three Challenge Tour events in the month of September and another European Tour event in Portugal. Despite all the uncertainty and uneasiness throughout the world as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, he feels the professional golf tours across the board have done a remarkable job monitoring and handling the difficult situation.
"Amazing," he said in reference to the efforts of the European Tour. "I think we came back at exactly the right time. The tournaments don't feel normal, but there's no way they should. We are playing and it feels safe to do so with all the testing and social distancing, so I'm grateful with how hard the Tour has worked to get us back out there."
Looking back, Mansell credits NSU for elevating his golf career, and one day in the near future ultimately hopes to return to the United States as a member of the PGA Tour.
"I want to win in Europe on the European Tour, climb into the Top-50 of the world rankings and have playing rights on both tours. I'm currently 275th, so I'm heading in the right direction. My game is in great shape and I am definitely ready to kick on to the next level. I'm always striving to better myself."
