The Oswego State men’s golf team are certainly getting back to the swing of things following the long summer. With just five athletes on the team this past spring, there was certainly a question mark surrounding the size and longevity of the squad moving forward.
Senior Ryan Fecco was excited to get back to playing golf with his reconstructed team of now 11 golfers this fall, but for him, it was refreshing to begin a new and full season.
“It was weird because we did not finish the [2020] spring season my sophomore year and then we did not play in the following fall,” Fecco said. “We did play the [2021] spring after but it was weird because we did not know what our team was going to look like. Some kids were not coming back to school and we were kind of scrambling for guys on the team. It was very weird to kind of get back into things a little quickly but I think we did a pretty okay job at it.”
It was not just Fecco that was getting used to Oswego State golf in 2021. Junior Anthony Robinson has never played organized golf before in his life, that goes for high school and college, but picked it up this summer as a hobby. He tried out for the team and is now one of the premier golfers of the bunch. For the Horseheads native, Robinson thinks the chemistry is unmatched and knows this team will go on to do big things.
“I think we have a great group,” Robinson said. “Every time I pass by Ryan as he is playing one hole I am playing another, I give him a high five or ask how he is doing. We have a really good group. The scores are good, they are playing well and everyone is happier when you are winning. We have a ton of new guys this year considering we only had five guys on the team last year. So now people can add new chemistries and I think that is what is helping us.”
The Laker’s first tournament of the year did not end with the ideal outcome. Sixth place at the Utica invitational was subpar for Oswego State but for the first of the year, nerves are always expected.
“I think everyone does not play their best their first few tournaments because there are a lot of nerves,” Fecco said. “A lot of the new kids do not even know what to expect at a tournament. Getting those first-tournament-jitters out of the way [is important] so everyone knows what to expect moving forward.”
Oct. 1 marks the beginning of the Empire-8 Conference Tournament in Baldwinsville and the Lakers are looking to score low during this important event. Robinson believes this team is ready to win and with a little practice they may just do that.
“I think we are really good,” Robinson said. “We have our lineup set and we are confident in each other. We have a practice round on Friday so we will be able to digest and learn a little bit about the course so I think we are in a good spot.”
Photos provided by Oswego State Athletics
