Southern Miss Exclusive: Filip Sakota on Loving Hattiesburg, NCAA Regional and More

HATTIESBURG, Miss. – Since taking over the program, Coach Eddie Brescher has taken the Southern Miss men's golf program to the next level. With the help of Athletic Director Jeremy McClain, the Giddis Golf Center, located at the Hattiesburg Country Club, opened doors in the fall of 2024. With the program having the resources needed to succeed, Coach Brescher started loading his roster. Enter Filip Sakota, a sophomore golfer who was born and raised in South Africa.

In an exclusive interview with Southern Miss Golden Eagles On SI, Sakota talks about his recruitment story, the Golden Eagles receiving an at-large selection in the NCAA Tournament for the first time ever, the 2026 Talon Awards Ceremony, Coach Brescher and his staff, and much more.

Sakota's Path to Hattiesburg

“The way I found myself to Hattiesburg is quite a long and interesting story," Sakota said. "I was born to my mother, who’s Australian, and my father who’s Italian. At the age of 12, my parents gave me the opportunity to continue playing golf or to try and immigrate to follow along with my mom's job in Europe. I decided to move to Johannesburg, where my dad did his operational work, to pursue golf as a career and dream. I had some great success as a junior playing at the state level. Unlike others, I didn't play any high school golf. I was homeschooled because of golf, time demands, traveling, and more."

Sakota says he made the connection with Southern Miss through a colleague who already had ties to Coach Brescher.

"Later on, my mother had to come back from Europe because of the COVID-19 situation. Once again, we were one big family. Unfortuntualy, there was no golf for about six months. I was forced to do a lot drills and golf work indoors," Sakota said.

"My recruitment started very late. At the beginning of 2024, I was still trying to figure out if I wanted to come to the United States. I was very fortunate to have met a colleague who played with Coach Eddie Brescher. He was able to connect me with him. In Spring of 2025, I made a last-minute decision to commit and sign with the University of Southern Mississippi."

USM Men's Golf Makes History

After punching the program's first-ever ticket to the NCAA Tournament via the Athens Regional, Sakota contributed the team's success to a variety of reasons.

“We have 10 phenomenal players from all over the world. It's the first time in program history we qualified for an at-large selection in the NCAA Tournament. The talent that we have and the work that everyone puts in on and off the course is the reason for that," Sakota said.

"This is one of those teams that dedicates a lot of time not solely to golf, but working out and other important things. I wouldn't necessarily say we're the most social group. We don't tend to do a lot of going out. We do a lot together."

Just because the men's golf team isn't the most social group, as Sakota alluded to, they still find ways to have a great time together.

"In our free time, we'll do a lot of fun games. For example, we have five guys born in Mississippi and five guys born outside of the United States. Whenever we get the chance, we'll do Internationals versus Mississippians, which gives us an edge when it matters the most," Sakota said. "The main thing has been the support. We never had this much support from everybody in the Hattiesburg community, from coaches to staff members to trainers to Hattiesburg residents."

To develop golfers, the Giddis Golf Center has given golfers like Sakota the opportunity to develop into the best versions of themselves.

"With our golf facility, we are provided with everything we need to succeed," Sakota said. "If I want to go play on the golf course, work on more short game, continue training on rainy days, I have the resources necessary to accomplish those goals."

'Grit' Award Recognition

At the 2026 Talon Awards Ceremony, Sakota was awarded the Male Grit Award, which he is extremely proud of.

“It was an incredible honor to win this award," Sakota said. "It's one of the few times that I had an opportunity to take a step back and look back at the work I've put in. I've always tried to do my best for myself, but I have learned that being in a team environment isn't always about me.

"I'm going out there trying my best for my teammates. I'm working as hard as I can to push not only myself, but to push every guy on our team. At the end of the day, I'm only as good as the guy next to me. It's nice to have an appreciation from people saying that I am putting in hours to help learn about myself or everybody around me. Grit is something that my father has taught me growing up. I'm motivated to give back to the people that have supported and invested into me."

Hattiesburg, MS: Home Away From Home

Sakota has loved his experience at Southern Miss so much that he hopes to convince his siblings to be a part of the men's golf team in Hattiesburg one day down the road.

“The Hattiesburg community has been so welcoming to me. Everybody from every industry and sector takes me in as one of their own. Since moving here, my mom's found her way here too. She works for a private equity firm, which is a family-owned business," Sakota said.

"Both of us have loved Hattiesburg so much that I want my siblings to join the golf program one day as well. The people here are so nice. We are extremely fortunate to have a really great community that supports and wants to help each other out."

Brescher's Method to Success

Although the new resources have played a role in enhancing the program, it still wouldn't be where it's currently at without Coach Brescher's connections and ability to develop talent.

“Coach Brescher has done so much for us. He works 24 hours a day, seven days a week. He's always thinking about new ideas, creating a new tee box, new drills, and more," Sakota said.

"Back home, he has his three wonderful children and lovely wife. At the end of the day, he's a family man. When he's not with family, he's always thinking about USM golf. It's on his mind 24/7. He goes above and beyond by helping us get the best equipment with 1.50 Golf down on the coast.

"He's introduced us to so many people at different things, like the Golden Tee Scramble, one of our biggest fundraisers for our program. He develops us to be ready for life. Not just for golf, but as a whole person and human being. With him, it's easy. We're expected to put in the time and effort into our game, along with academics, on a daily basis. 'If you do your part, I'll do the rest.' That's what makes him so great."

Personal Development

“Since enrolling at Southern Miss, a lot has changed. When I first left O.R. Tambo International Airport (JNB) in South Africa, I didn't know what to expect. Before enrolling into the university, I never did an official visit. This was my first time coming to the to the southern part of the country," Sakota said.

"As a person, I've learned to be a lot more social with people. This is really the first time in my life that I've played team golf. At the end of the day, I'm playing for an overall team score and the University of Southern Mississippi. Whether it's my academic advisor, coach, or local resident, everybody wants to see me grow in all areas of my life. Since coming to Hattiesburg, I've learned so much about myself and couldn't be more grateful for the opportunity."

Dream Scenario

If Sakota could play at one golf course in the world, where would he play and with who?

"There are so many great golf courses that I can choose from for this question," Sakota said. "I've played all over the world in Europe, Africa, Asia, and the United States, but it's really not the course you play that makes the difference: it's the people. To start, I'd definitely love to play at Pebble Beach or Liberty National. For people, it starts with my dad. Alongside him, I'd love to tee it up with Tiger Woods, Tom Brady, Jack Nicklaus. That'd be my dream group and course."

Why He Does It

“The reason that I do the things that I do every day is the way I was raised. I've seen my father and mother fight their whole lives. They both work long hours everyday to provide for our family. I've seen both struggle in my upbringing. Addtionally, making those proud who provide me with resources and joy. Being religious, I want to give back in that way as well," Sakota said.

"I get up every morning wanting to do my best. If I'm at my best everyday, I'm able to help those around me. I have a dream to either play professional golf or go into the financial workplace. Before I came here, everything was about golf. I've learned to become a whole person by doing my academics, greeting everybody, making sure others around me are satisfied, and more. That's truly my motivation.“

The Golden Eagles officially teed off at the University of Georgia Golf Course to begin their run in the NCAA Tournament on Monday. Sophomore Matthew Javier got the day started at 8:25 a.m. CT on Hole 10. Fans can follow live scoring by visiting the official scoreboard. Stay tuned to Southern Miss Golden Eagles On SI for a follow-up on how the men's golf team performs in the Athens Regional.

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