Rising star Ricky Castillo reveals ‘secret talent’ as an unbeatable ping pong player

After a surprising victory in his first professional start at the Kansas Wichita Open, Ricky Castillo’s pro golf career got off to an undefeated start.

As it turns out, that’s only the second sport.

On this week’s Subpar, the University of Florida star-turned-professional golfer recently revealed his extraordinary skills on the course are second only to those in his other chosen sport: ping pong.

“I haven’t really played ping pong in a long time,” he said. “I know this is gonna sound kind of cocky, but I stopped playing because I just got too good and people don’t want to play me anymore.”

Castillo told hosts Colt Knost and Drew Stoltz that he learned how to play while he was a student at the University of Florida. Soon, though, his skills began to outpace those of his classmates. Before long, he had the ping pong table to himself — the undisputed champion, yes, but also a competitor without someone to battle.

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“Like, I just like got bored because I’ve just beat everybody every time, and it’s just it’s not fun anymore,” Castillo said. “There’s no point. I’d rather just play left-handed or something in order for it to actually be a game.”

Castillo’s career as a golfer seems to be off to a charmed start on the Korn Ferry Tour. Surely he hopes it will take on the same shape as his one on the table.

Well, maybe with a little more action.

“Every time I just win without trying that’s not fun,” he said. “So I haven’t played in a long time.”

To hear the rest of Castillo’s Subpar interview, check out the link below.

https://open.spotify.com/show/0JVg8pE3YOQidsEa3vGBSv

James Colgan

Golf.com Editor

James Colgan is a news and features editor at GOLF, writing stories for the website and magazine. He manages the Hot Mic, GOLF’s media vertical, and utilizes his on-camera experience across the brand’s platforms. Prior to joining GOLF, James graduated from Syracuse University, during which time he was a caddie scholarship recipient (and astute looper) on Long Island, where he is from. He can be reached at james.colgan@golf.com.