fter a successful fall season, the Oswego State golf team is heading into its winter hiatus until April.
All of the tournaments in which the team participated resulted in finishing third place or higher. The Lakers won four tournaments this year, including the Empire 8 Fall Championship and the 21st Oswego Fall Invitational.
To finish off the fall portion of the 2018-2019 season, Oswego State came away with a first-place finish at the Nazareth College Invitational. The team beat second-place St. Lawrence University by nine strokes. Heading into the winter break with another victory under the team’s belt helps with confidence, head coach Mike Howard said.
“The guys played really well over two days, over two fantastic courses. We’re extremely pleased with that,” Howard said. “Going into the break with a ‘W’ is good for the guys. They’re feeling good about themselves, and rightfully so.”
Senior Sean Paul Owen won the tournament after shooting a two-day total of 145. He shot a 74 on the first day, which was plus-two for the Monroe Golf Club, and then shot a one-under 71 at the Irondequoit Country Club.
Both courses were new for the Lakers. The team, before this season, had never been to those two courses since it had never participated in the Nazareth College Invitational. Howard said not knowing the course was a challenge.
“There was one point about halfway through the front-nine that [St. Lawrence] actually overtook us and we were two or three strokes back,” Howard said. “The guys buckled down, and they got the job done and finished off strong.”
Owen’s strong efforts not only earned him Oswego State Athlete of the Week ending on Oct. 14, but he was also tabbed the Empire 8 Golfer of the Week. This season, he has earned both accolades twice.
“It’s cool. Some of my friends, they say ‘congratulations’ and things, which is nice, but it’s just a small award,” Owen said. “Our main focus is winning the conference championship.”
Heading into the winter break, the Lakers lead the Empire 8 conference by one stroke. Oswego State was able to overtake St. John Fisher College after shooting a 295 on the second day compared to the Cardinals’ 298. Having the lead is more than what Howard expected coming into the season.
“There’s no pressure on us. My goal, heading into the fall, was to be in striking distance,” Howard said. “[St. John Fisher has] won the last 15 out of 17 [championships], whatever it is. The pressure’s going to be on them to keep that hardware. We’re just going to fight them down to the last putt and hope to take that away from them.”
The Lakers have an advantage compared to some of the other schools in upstate New York. The golf team uses the Romney Field House during the winter to practice until the spring season starts.
The team hits full-swing shots into nets, but players cannot see what the ball flight looks like. Another focus is on the short game, including wedge shots and putting. Howard also plans on getting his team involved with a conditioning program and staying active over the winter.
“Once we get into Romney, it’s to use our time wisely in there,” Howard said. “[We want to] work on our short game, our 50-, 60-yard shots, some putting, getting some swings in with the training tools that we have.”
Owen said that the short game is where a team gets a heavy advantage on the course, especially the 50- and 60-yard shots. He said having control of those shots helps give a good look on the putting green, giving a team a large advantage over an opponent.
Now in its second season as a part of the Empire 8, the team has a lot to fight for. While independent, the team was Howard said the team was “just playing out the schedule” in the spring. As a part of the conference, the Lakers can get selected for the NCAA Tournament and earn conference awards.
Heading into the spring, Howard’s expectations are the same as the beginning of the season. He wants his players to be competitive with each other, especially when only five players can count for the team’s score.
“You’ve got to compete amongst guys on your own team. If you’re not playing well, we’ve got to have somebody ready to fill that void,” Howard said. “Mentally, they’ve got to stay focused on what they’re doing and stick to routines.”
As for Owen, who is heading into his final semester at Oswego State and as a part of the golf team, has one goal in mind: winning the Empire 8 conference and heading to the NCAA tournament, something that has not been done in his previous three years.
“The main thing is to win the Empire 8. That’s really our goal. We want to get to the NCAA tournament,” Owen said. “We haven’t done it my first three years here, so we’re hoping to get it this year.”
Photo by Maria Pericozzi| The Oswegonian
