Photo: St. Bonaventure Athletics
BY: CARSON HAYEK, CONTRIBUTING WRITER
St. Bonaventure University’s golf head coach, Ryan Swanson, has returned to the mountains of Allegany for his eighth year. Swanson was a 2008 graduate of Bonaventure and looks very favorably on his time in Olean.
“I had a great experience here,” said Swanson. “It is why I wanted to come back and coach in 2016 when the offer presented itself, so I could hopefully build the program back to where it was so future players could experience what I did.”
Swanson, as a player, was statistically one of the best to ever do it in Bonaventure program history. The 36-year-old coach participated in the 2010 and 2011 National PGA Assistant Professional Championship, is a five-time Western New York PGA circuit winner and has the fifth-lowest scoring average in school history. Swanson now owns his very own nine-hole course in Westfield, New York called the Pinehurst Golf Club.
Swanson said he looks to use his personal success and the high-pressure experiences as main coaching points.
“You learn a lot from competing and I have been fortunate enough to compete at some of golf’s highest levels,” said Swanson. “Hopefully, when I convey those experiences to the team, they eventually understand and can learn from them to better us as a group.”
Swanson’s high level of experience helps him to connect with the team, according to freshman Braddock Damore.
“Coach Swanson has a ton of experience being a former player for the Bonnie’s and now a PGA Professional, so he has been able to help talk us through shots and keep our minds in it during tournament play,” said Damore.
Swanson’s group is youthful this season — roughly half of the group belongs to the freshman class. While young, the Bonnies also have a “good base” returning, according to Swanson. Swanson’s group will look at graduate Peter Byrne for leadership along with juniors, Michael Bucko, Gabe Williams and Caleb Decker.
Although young, the Bona’s strive to be more consistent this season, according to Swanson.
“We need to learn the value of consistency and team golf,” said Swanson. “Guys had a loose leash last year because they were young guys, we need to reel it in this year and be more consistent over the course of a season. I think our ceiling is very high, so hopefully we can show that more often than not.”
Bonaventure’s next golf outing will be Sept. 28 and 29 at Virtues Golf Club in Nashport, Ohio.
hayekc24@bonaventure.edu
