LEWISTON, N.Y. (WKBW) — Four years ago, Mykhailo “Misha” Golod was hiding in his basement and staying away from windows to try to avoid explosive debris. The 19-year-old junior at the University of North Carolina is from Kyiv, Ukraine, the first major city invaded during the Russo-Ukrainian War.
Now he’s in Western New York playing the game he loves as he competes in the 67th Annual Porter Cup at Niagara Falls Country Club in Lewiston.
“Villages, I mean 10 minutes, 20 minutes from our house, were completely destroyed,” Golod said. “Russians came in there, and they killed people. They destroyed houses. We could hear most of it happening. It was a couple of miles from our house.”
At the time, Golod was one of the top amateur players in all of Ukraine, but his future was bleak with conflict changing life as he knew it. That was all until an interview with Golf Digest, where he shared his story. It went viral and was seen by U.S.-based golf instructor David Leadbetter, who invited Golod to the United States to continue working on his game, but, more importantly, to get somewhere safe.
WATCH: Misha Golod's journey from a Ukrainian war zone to the 67th Porter Cup in Lewiston
“We drove to the Hungary border, which is about an eight-hour drive across the border, just me and my mom,” Golod said. “My dad left us there because he couldn't go any further. He had to drive back home. My mom and I continued driving to Budapest. From there, we flew to London, and from there we flew to Orlando.”
He stayed in Florida working on his craft until earning a scholarship to North Carolina. A few years later, his mom moved to the United States to be with him. She’s in Lewiston watching her son compete this week.
“I'm really proud of him because he has been living in this country by himself for two years, and then I came just to support him,” Vita Golod said. “At this point, he's playing in these international tournaments. It means he has a lot of achievements, but first of all, he's a good kid. He's a good student, a good son, and he's a good friend to his teammates. That is very important.”
Golod’s journey has provided him with perspective. Every tournament and day on the golf course is a good one, regardless of the outcome. He hopes to one day play professionally and join the long list of accomplished players who also traveled to Lewiston as amateurs and played in the Porter Cup.
“These opportunities mean everything,” Golod said. “These are opportunities for me to get better, for me to excel, and for me to hopefully one day be a professional golfer. Every chance I get to compete is a way for me to get better.”
