Franklin Regional grad Michael Wareham helps Gannon men's golf win regional title, seeks individual win

Golf can be a stressful game. It requires perfection in almost every facet, and the slightest misstep can send the ball off in an unintended direction.

Franklin Regional grad Michael Wareham, however, said he finds sanctuary on the golf course. Sure, the tournaments he plays with his Gannon teammates are fraught with pressure, but golf offers him relief from stress, particularly during practice times.

Perhaps that’s why he spends countless hours honing his craft.

“I think golf is so cool because you can go out there for hours on end and just do something different for each and every hour,” said Wareham, who just wrapped up his junior year with the Golden Knights. “There’s so many things to improve on and practice, whether it be bunker shots, short-game shots, punch shots, your tee balls, your wedges, irons, putting.

“You can sit there for hours upon hours. I also think it’s a nice way to relax and take your mind off things.”

Gannon men’s golf coach Dustin Coleman, with 12 seasons at the helm, said he is struck by Wareham’s dedication to the game. Wareham, he said, always is leading the way when it comes to encouraging teammates to go to the range for extra practice or play nine more holes.

“He cares about golf and cares about the team just about more than anyone we have,” Coleman said.

With Wareham in the fold, it might not be a coincidence that the Golden Knights won their first regional title and qualified for their first NCAA championship during his freshman season. Gannon went back to the NCAAs this year after winning another Atlantic Regional title.

Wareham led the charge, shooting 69-68 over the first two rounds to take the individual lead and help the Golden Knights get off to a fast start. He closed with a 76 to go even par for the tournament and finish runner-up to teammate Shaunak Rama.

The 68 matched the low round of his collegiate career, which he set earlier in the season at the Dr. Wally Edgell Invitational at Canaan Valley Resort Golf Club in Davis, W.Va. His 18-hole average of 74.3 was a personal best, improving by nearly 1.5 strokes from last season.

“I think just growing mentally has been the biggest thing,” Wareham said about his steady improvement. “I don’t think my game has changed that much. … This year, I’ve been able to get under par and continue to just try and attack flags and make low numbers and keep it going.

“And I think one of the biggest things is the putter has been really, really good this year. Probably the biggest physical improvement in my game is the putter.”

Along with that, Coleman said, he can see Wareham becoming more confident in his game.

“He’s been around the block, and now he’s starting to realize, ‘Yeah, I am one of the best players here,’ ” Coleman said. “I think he knows that. I think sometimes he thought that and tried to convince himself of that … but now I think he finally believes it.”

Besides hours of practice, Wareham said his game has gotten a boost from becoming a member at Hannastown Golf Club.

The course counts some of the top amateur players in Western Pennsylvania among its regulars, and Wareham has been able to match his game against players such as Sean Knapp and Palmer Jackson.

“It’s a good challenge,” Wareham said of Hannastown. “The greens are always really good. It requires you to do everything well. … Since I joined there, I have seen great improvements in my game. That comes with playing with great players, playing on a tough course every day, tough conditions.”

Jackson, also a Franklin Regional grad, has been a mentor for Wareham. A couple of years older, Jackson, who is concluding his graduate year with the Notre Dame golf team, showed Wareham what was required to play high-level golf.

“We’re still really good friends,” Wareham said. “Back in those days, when I was younger, he kind of showed me what really good golf looks like. … I think he’s had a big impact on my golf career.”

It’s a career Wareham hopes lasts beyond college. He still has one more season to play at Gannon, and after that, he said, he will see where the sport takes him.

Naturally, he would like to play professionally, but any type of career around the game, he said, would be welcome. Coleman said he believes Wareham has the chops to play at the highest level. Golf, he said, is a sport in which most players don’t reach their peak until around age 30, so, in his estimation, Wareham isn’t close to his prime.

Wareham has all the shots. Though not the longest player off the tee, he makes up for it with accuracy and a solid wedge game and putting. The last piece of the puzzle: learning how to win.

As much as Wareham enjoys the team accolades — “He’s the No. 1 ‘team’ guy,” Coleman said — he said he wants an individual victory before he leaves the college game.

He has come close, finishing as runner-up four times. But the win remains elusive. He was right there for the regional championship before a shaky start to the third round derailed his charge.

“Being in that position in the final round was something new for me, being in a four-shot lead,” he said. “I was pretty nervous on that first tee, and I think it’s something I can take and learn from.

“It’s funny. I’ve been so close a bunch of times. The biggest goal this year was trying to get a win. But I’ve seen a lot of improvement, and I’ve put myself in position to win plenty of times, so that’s a very promising thing to see.”

Coleman said he believes it is only a matter of time.

“I think he just needs to get it the one time, and the rest will be a lot easier for him,” he said.

“It’s coming. We keep telling him, it’s coming.”