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Arguably the greatest golfer to ever play at Bowling Green State University, Garry Winger, just completed his ninth season at the helm of the men's golf program for BGSU. The London, Ontario, native was a four-year (1991-94) letterwinner at BGSU and helped the Falcons to a third-place Mid-American Conference finish in 1994, the best by the program in 10 years. He finished third individually and earned All-MAC honors that season. Winger was also named the recipient of the 1994 MAC Sportsmanship Award, which was voted on by the players. Following his time at BGSU Winger was a member of the 1995 Canadian Pacific Rim Team that participated in Wellington, New Zealand. That same season he participated in the New Zealand Amateur. Winger won five professional tournaments in his career (1996-98), which included wins on the Tommy Armour Tour and the Cleveland Tour in Orlando, Florida. As a professional he played on the Canadian Tour for six events in 1996, before playing full-time a year later. In 1997 he was the only Canadian to qualify for the Canadian Tour out of the Spring Qualifying school. As head coach of the Falcons, Winger led the Brown and Orange to a four-place improvement in the MAC Championship from 1999 (10th) to 2000 (6th). Bowling Green then finished 6th at the MAC Championship in 2001 for the best back-to-back finish at the league tournament since the 1994-95 seasons. His 2000-01 squad established a new school record for 54 holes (863, -1) and for 18 holes (283, -5). The 2001-02 Falcon team set a new school mark in season average (297.64) and tied the mark for 18 holes (283). In 2003-04, the Falcons recorded three runner-up finishes and three third-place finishes in tournaments, as well as having the first individual medalist in a tournament in 21 years when Heath Ziglar captured the Earl Yestingsmeier Invitational on Oct. 5, 2003. In 2005-06 Winger coached the Falcons to the John Piper Invitational title. In that tournament alone the Falcons set school records for lowest 18 (275), 36 (562) and 54-hole (845) scores. In 2006-07 he took a squad of two juniors and three freshman to the MAC Championships and finished sixth in the nine team field. On the final day of competition the Falcons were the lone team under par (-1). This past season Winger helped coach Jace Walker, who finished as a member of the second-team All-MAC squad. Walker finished his career with a 74.98 stroke average, breaking Winger's previous school record of 75.00 for a career. Winger has coached All-MAC selection Adam Balls, a Woodstock, Ontario native, Justin Gillham, who received the MAC Sportsmanship Award in 2002, Heath Ziglar, who was named to the MAC's second team in 2006 and Walker. He has also coached two-time Academic All-American selection (2004-05) Craig Pickeral, three MAC Sportsmanship Award winners (Balls, Gillham and Pickeral) and five tournament medalist (Otto Larson, Ziglar, Andrew Ladwig, Jace Walker and John Powers) He and his wife Kate along with their son, Rhett, reside in Bowling Green. Winger's Amatuer Career • Owns the lowest season average (72.4) and career average (75.0) at BGSU. • Was a member of the 1993 Ontario Willington Cup Team. • Runner-up at the 1990 Ontario Junior Championships. • Member of the 1995 Canadian Pacific Rim Team in Wellington, New Zealand. • Semifinalist at the 1995 Canadian Amatuer (lost to PGA Tour winner Garrett Willis). • Participated in the 1995 New Zealand Amatuer. |
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