Owen Wolak
Occidental’s men’s and women’s golf team kicked off the 2024-2025 season Sept. 9-10 by competing in the California State Intercollegiate tournament hosted by California Lutheran University at Olivia Links Country Club. The men’s team placed third and the women’s team placed seventh. Men’s team member Owen Wolak (sophomore) individually placed ninth, shooting one under par on the opening and closing rounds of the tournament. Wolak shot five over par in the middle round, but was still able to close out the last day of the tournament with a 71.
“The second day I struggled a bit due to the wind. It was probably blowing 30 miles an hour. I’ve never played in wind that fast,” Wolak said.
Through the first and last rounds of the tournament, Wolak was one of five athletes competing to achieve two rounds under par. Wolak said that he’s lucky he can hit the ball far and confidently drive shots straight down the fairway to keep consistent play.
“If I get the ball in play straight off the tee, I’m confident with the driver. I had pretty good luck making birdie on every hole,” Wolak said.
Occidental’s head golf coach William Morris said that Wolak has just scratched the surface of his potential.
“He has a great golf swing and is very strong. Being our medalist in such a prestigious tournament indicates how good a player he is,” Morris said.
Wolak said that his history with golf started out rocky. At age 8, his dad would bring him out to the driving range to practice hitting balls, and Wolak said he hated it.
“I thought it was a boring sport. I thought you were not cool if you played golf,” Wolak said. “I would have temper tantrums about going to the golf course just for an hour to hit balls with him.”
But when his dad started signing him up for junior tournaments all around Northern Virginia and Washington D.C., Wolak said he fell in love with the sport. He worked on honing his skills before he entered high school and began playing for his school team.
Wolak said he decided he wanted to play college golf during his freshman year of high school and had his sights set on Division I schools, but an injury early in his junior year halted those aspirations. Despite not playing Division I golf, Wolak fell in love with being a Division III athlete during his freshman year at Occidental.
Wolak and the rest of the Occidental men’s golf team travel to Wisconsin Sept. 29-30 to compete in the University of Wisconsin-Stout Invitational, which, according to Morris, is the largest golf tournament for small schools. Wolak said that he and the rest of the team are taking the event really seriously and that he is optimistic about the tournament.
“We are just going to play as best as we can. Take each shot [one] at a time,” Wolak said.
Maddie Greene
The 2024-2025 golf season also marks the last year that captain Maddie Greene (senior) will spend at Occidental. Although Greene said she feels bittersweet about her time at Occidental coming to an end, she remains excited about the season ahead.
“It’s off to a really good start. I’m really excited for senior season,” Greene said. “It’s the best I’ve felt about golf and life in general.”
As a senior captain and one of the few upperclassmen in a team of mostly first-years, Greene said she is enjoying playing a leadership role in mentoring the new players of Occidental’s women’s golf.
“I’m kind of like a big sister, looking out for everyone, helping them transition, get adjusted to college and then leading both by example and by action and word of voice as well,” Greene said.
According to Greene, managing athletics, academics and off-campus responsibilities is what keeps her going. Greene’s coach William Morris said her efforts show both on and off the course.
“Maddie has a great work ethic in the classroom, on the golf course and working many athletic events while maintaining a physical therapy internship. She coordinates much of our social media and publicity for the golf team,” Morris said.
Greene also competed in the California State Intercollegiate tournament this past week. She ended the event tied for 22nd, shooting 13 over par. Greene said she felt okay about the start to the season, and although she played consistently, her competitive spirit was driving her to score better at the next event.
“I was a little disappointed in my performance. But all things considered, it was still very good overall,” Greene said.
In preparation for the University of Wisconsin-Stout Invitational, Greene said she is working hard on staying consistent and feels good about where her game currently is.
“I’m looking forward to trying to enjoy every moment, and that’s my goal throughout the whole season in general — enjoying it while I can,” Green said.
Contact Peter Krebs at pkrebs@oxy.edu
