Montgomery’s Garofalo at best in big matches
By: Bob Nuse
Montgomery High golf coach Charlie Olenick has come to realize that Ryan Garofalo plays his best when the stakes are highest.
"He had a very poor front nine his first time at Raritan Valley when he was a freshman," recalled Olenick, the long-time coach at Montgomery. "He shot a 48 on the front nine, then came back with a 38 on the back and he’s never had a bad tournament since. Last year he missed the Somerset County Tournament with a broken arm, but every time he’s played in a tournament setting for us, he’s done very well.
"He’s a solid tournament player and you don’t really see that much with high school golfers. Most of the time the players are trying so hard, that they don’t shoot their average. Ryan has consistently shot better than his average in every tournament we’ve played. He has the ability to step it up at the important times."
This year, Garofalo finished second in the Skyland Conference Tournament, shooting a 79 but losing in a playoff to Ryan McCormick. He also shot an 81 at the Somerset County Tournament, where he finished sixth. His play throughout the season helped Montgomery finish with a 16-1 record, losing only to Hillsborough on a tie-breaker.
"I think, for some reason, in tournaments I play smarter," said Garofalo, who turned 17 years old last week. "I like the pressure that there is when you’re playing in a tournament. When you’re playing 18 holes instead of nine, I feel like there is a little more room to be creative. When you’re playing a nine-hole match, there are only so many chances you get to make a creative decision.
"I think the game is 90 percent mental. It’s all about not going for a sucker pin and being able to lay up for a good shot."
This year, Garofalo made plenty of good shots. His 40.2 average this season was the third best for a junior at Montgomery in the last 23 years, trailing only Don Yarson and Mike Walsh. And his scoring average was the best on a team that won the Skyland Conference Raritan Division championship.
Ryan Garofalo is the Princeton Packet Golfer of the Year.
"It takes a lot of skill to post a good score over 18 holes," Olenick said. "You’re looking for a solid score from the first shot and when that fails to happen, players tend to try to make it all up on one hole. That’s where you get in trouble."
Since he started playing seven years ago, Garofalo has managed to find more and more ways to stay out of trouble on the golf course. He’s improved steadily and has worked to become a top-notch player.
"I moved here when I was 10 and took it up seriously then," said Garofalo, who lives at Cherry Valley in Montgomery. "Every day I would go out and play holes six-seven-eight and then go home. I had a decent swing to start, then I took lessons with Mr. (Allan) Bowman (the Cherry Valley pro) and that helped me a lot.
"Everyone on my dad’s side of the family has always played and he still plays a lot. So it’s something I was interested in and I’ve always enjoyed playing."
With the high school season over, Garofalo has a busy summer of golf planned. In addition to the club championship at Cherry Valley, where he reached the quarterfinals last year, he’ll play in the Metropolitan Golf Association Amateur, the Trenton District Junior, Metropolitan Junior and State Junior.
"I’ll be out on the course every day but Monday, which is when it’s closed," Garofalo said. "I also caddie over at Bedens Brook and sometimes I get to play over there. And sometimes I’ll play over at Mattawang.
"There is a lot of good competition at Cherry Valley, whether it’s juniors or adults. They like to play and they enjoy playing with the younger guys. It’s a lot of fun. Last year I played Mr. (Dave) Hambley in the quarterfinals and it was a great match to play in."
He still has a year left at Montgomery, but Garofalo is already thinking about his golfing future. And right now, he’s not ready to put a limit on where it can go.
"I want to ride it out as far as it will take me," he said. "I’m looking to play in college if I can, hopefully at a southern school. And after that, I’ll have to see how far I’ve come as a player."
Before college, there is still another season at Montgomery ahead as well. And with most of this year’s team returning, Garofalo is optimistic about what the team can do.
"I think we have a chance to be even better than we were this year," he said. "We had a nice season and with most of the team back, if we all keep working, we can have a better season."
Garofalo has certainly shown that willingness to work. And his results have shown that work is paying dividends.