Originally published in Carroll Capital, the print publication of the Carroll School of Management at Boston College. Read the full issue here.
Qualifying for the 2023 US Open wasn’t on Christian Cavaliere’s to-do
list. He had simply been missing the fun of competing alongside professional golfer friends when he signed up for a series of qualifier tournaments. But with a little luck and a sharp swing, Cavaliere ’20 earned a spot in one of the major men’s golf championships—and a big opportunity to show off his business.
Christian Cavaliere '20
Cavaliere first picked up a set of clubs at the age of seven. He quickly appreciated the sense of power he felt when strategizing about his
game. “I’m a bit of a control freak,” he says, laughing. “Being able to control everything that I do on the golf course definitely appealed to me.” By 14, Cavaliere was already competing in nationally ranked tournaments around the country. At Boston College, he played for the men’s golf team while pursuing a marketing concentration in the Carroll School.
But golf wasn’t his only hobby—Cavaliere is a self-described “crafty” person, and at a young age, his mom made sure he knew how to sew. “She imparted to me that it was really important—if your pants rip you can mend them,” he explains. He put those sewing skills to work junior year when he began crafting custom patches to elevate the golf team’s hats. As the Boston College community took notice of the team’s newly spiced-up swag, he found himself getting more and more requests for personalized gear. Cavaliere recalls how hilarious it was to have a sewing machine set up next to his golf gear in his compact 2150 Commonwealth Avenue dorm room.
After losing the final stretch of his senior-year golf season to the pandemic, Cavaliere decided instead to turn his dorm side hustle into a real business. “I didn’t think I would spend two-plus years on the sewing machine for five hours a day,” he says, “but I’ve always loved to make things. This became another avenue to do that.” Cavaliere launched Tremont Sporting Company in spring 2020, bringing on his former golf teammate Patrick Hallisey, MCAS ’18, as his business partner.
The Florida-based company specializes in customizing quality gear for fellow golfers and has grown to 17 employees. The Tremont team can take anything from business logos to images of cherished pets and incorporate them into unique products like hats and club covers. “Anyone can get the generic accessory,” he says. “This makes it your own. When people take ownership, it has more importance to them.”
Cavaliere competing while at Boston College.
In June 2023, Cavaliere arrived at the Los Angeles Country Club for the US Open clad in his own Tremont gear, a world-class advertising opportunity as he warmed up on the driving range with golf royalty like two-time Masters champion Scottie Scheffler. “Sitting next to guys I’ve seen on TV my whole life was surreal,” he says. While the competition naturally brought on some nerves, Cavaliere found clarity through the level playing field the sport can provide. “These guys might practice more and have fancier technique,” Cavaliere says, “but our game of golf is not overwhelmingly different and can change day by day.” He didn’t rank but he was one of just 156 players who qualified to compete in the tournament.
While he’s not aiming to turn pro, Cavaliere plans to keep playing competitively and would love to make the US Open an annual tradition if he qualifies. It’s all about enhancing his personal game for the sake of future opportunities, for his business and for himself. He says, “I’ll be chasing the overwhelming happiness I felt at the Open for a long time.”
