By HUNTER O. LYLE
OLEAN, NY – The last time Darien Swanson walked off the Southwestern New York-Northwestern Pennsylvania Men’s Amateur course it was in defeat.
He had chipped his way through the field of competition and into the finals. However, once there, he met the foreign phenom Shibo Wang, a Chinese-born college student from Rochester who had taken the tournament by storm. Continuing his dominance, Wang defeated Swanson on hole No. 16. Flash forward to this year, however, and Swanson was eager for another crack at the title.
“Shibo played great that day, I have no regrets. I love to think back to that day and tournament,” said Swanson, who is going into his senior year at Mercyhurst. “Coming out this year, I just wanted to show (that it wasn’t a fluke.) I like (Bartlett), I’ve played here for years and years.”
Perseverance would pay off for Swanson. Taking to the links this year, everything seemed to be rolling his way, even despite some smog, a drop or two of rain and even a ricochet off a sprinkler head. As he made his way through the 18-hole opening day of the tournament, Swanson became the only golfer to break par, ending with a day-best 69, the No. 1 seed heading into the head-to-head Championship flight and a little bit of proven redemption.
“I just want to make the championship again and through 12 holes I was playing pretty solid. I only made one mistake, made a few birdies coming in,” said Swanson. “It was a crazy, weird round. I birdied (hole No. 1), went par, par and then birdied (hole No. 4). It was just a lot of pars.”
A few spots down the standings, a familiar face was also making his way to the top flight. Darien’s brother, Carson Swanson, had fallen behind early in the course with a couple of double bogies, ultimately finding himself six-over by hole No. 13. Yet, as seems to be the Swanson way, perseverance paved the way. After eagling one hole later and continuing to finish strong, Carson Swanson earned his way just above the 78-cutline at 72.
However, he was not alone. Six other players had ended with the same score, producing a playoff where they’d all be vying for the final four spots in the 32-man Championship flight. It would take three holes for the party of five – one golfer was reported AWOL and missed out on his chance for contention – to settle the standings. Carson was one.
“It was nice to just kind of bring it back together. Ending with a double bogey wasn’t fun so I had to go out there and try to get it back,” said Carson Swanson, who is attending Wheeler University this fall for basketball. “I’m happy with how it turned out.”
Due to seeding matchups created with handicaps in mind, the siblings will not end up facing each other as the No. 1 versus No. 32, even though they both would have enjoyed it.
“It’s just a lot of trash talk between us. It’s really competitive in the family,” said Carson Swanson, whose father also participated in the tournament, qualifying for the first consolation flight. “I’m always going to try to get one up if I can and now that we’re in the same flight, if we get paired up I’m going to give (Darien) all I’ve got. But he’s been playing well. I know he’s worked hard for it and it’s obviously showing. He’s earned it but if I get a chance I’m going to give him a run for his money.”
Sibling rivalry or not, both will take to the links again on Thursday in the round of 32 for the head-to-head do-or-die competition. Over the next four days, the numbers will begin to halve, leading to the four-person semifinals on Saturday and the two-man finals on Sunday, a spot Darien Swanson hopes to find himself again.
“I’m playing really well right now. Whenever I hit the driver well, I usually play well,” said Darien Swanson. “I came out here and did it which will hopefully help soothe some nerves for the future rounds.”
Men’s Amateur Thursday Matches 8-7-2025–Tee Times
2nd Flight:
8:00 Nenno vs. Anderson
McArdle vs. Jordan
8:10 Fitzpatrick vs. Vogtli
Reiley, C. vs. Salvaggio
8:20 Henzel, D. vs. Hnat
Wilber vs. Frank
8:30 Crist, C. vs. Padlo
Johnsen vs. Bzdak
1st Flight
8:40 Schauger vs. Gethicker
Swanson, N. vs. Beaver
8:50 Andhor vs. Russell, R.
Wright, J. vs. Hartnett
9:00 Robbins vs. Livak
Chapman vs. Riekofsky, C.
9:10 Campbell, S. vs. Liguori
Kalyan vs. Glatz
9:20 Starter Time
Championship Flight
9:30 Swanson, D. vs. Nsubuga
Brady, S. vs. Petryczak
9:40 McHone, E. vs. Damore
Haas, B. vs. Logue, Kal
9:50 Lyons vs. Cornelius
Davis vs. Hall
10:00 Carls vs. Steffen
Bucko vs. Logue, Kade
10:10 Loughey vs. Swanson, C.
Cecchini vs. Henzel, K.
10:20 Decker vs. Crist, S.
Haas, C. vs. Jennings
10:30 Aiello vs. Unverdorben
Faulkner vs. Wright, O.
10:40 Williams, G. vs. Schott
Peterson vs. Gibbons
10:50 Starter Time
3rd Flight
11:00 Brainard vs. Hunt
Colligan Jr. vs. Hamed
11:10 Dick vs. Deck
Malik vs. Marra
11:20 Worth vs. Howard
Morrison vs. Kane
11:30 Carls, C. vs. Higgins
Dwaileebe vs. Obenrader
Senior Flight
(NOTE: Mike Brady, Dan Reiley, David Benedict, Nick Chicola, and Steve Kubiak will play their first match on Friday, August 8th)
11:40 Wachob vs. Henzel, J.
11:50 Baire, Mark vs. Turner
Brady, Jim vs. Huber
6th Flight
(NOTE: Bradley Stevens, Kelsey Boudin, Jalala Ramadhan, Jimmy Williams, and Vincent Baire will play their first match on Friday, August 8th)
11:40 Baire, Max vs. Butler
12:00 Preston vs. Green
Travis, Mark vs. Travis, Chris
12:10 Starter Time
5th Flight
12:20 Withers vs. George
Wright, E. vs. Williams, Ryan
12:30 Wiltsey vs. Goudie
Folts vs. Hendrix
12:40 McHone, D. vs. Foley
Johnston vs. Slade
12:50 McPeek vs. Frame
Okerlund vs. Butler
4th Flight
1:00 Phillips vs. Burrows
Orcutt vs. Riekofsky, K.
1:10 Barner vs. Jones
Arvin vs. Caskey
1:20 Giardini vs. Lewis
Stein vs. Logue, Kurt
1:30 Morton vs. Brushingham
Pauly vs. Chaffee
Men’s Qualifying Scores
First name Last name Qualifying Score Home Course
Darien Swanson 69 Pinehurst GC Medalist
Marcus Aiello 70 Bartlett CC
James Carls 70 Bartlett CC
Troy Loughry 70 Stoughton Acres
Nick Lyons 70 Bartlett CC
Michael Bucko 71 Links at Hiawatha
Michael Davis 71 Pennhills
Caleb Decker 71 Yahnundasis Golf Club
Brandon Haas 71 Wellsville Country Club
Corey Haas 71 Bartlett CC
Eric McHone 71 Gaston CC
Michael Peterson 71 Bartlett C.C.
Gabe Williams 71 Seven Oaks
Scott Brady 72 Bartlett
Nicholas Cecchini 72 Crag Burn Golf Club
Mitchell Faulkner 72 Pennhills Club
Luke Petryszak 73 Bartlett Country Club
Tim Hall 74 BCC
Kyle Henzel 74 Bartlett
Kade Logue 74 The Country Club of Meadville
Owen Wright 74 Cardinal Hills
Mike Brady 75 Coudersport Medalist–Senior Flight
Greg Gibbons 75 Bartlett
Scott Crist 76 Chautauqua Golf Club
Braddock Damore 76 Cable Hollow Golf course
Edward Jennings 76 Bolivar
Kal Logue 76 Emporium Country Club
Dan Reiley 76 Pennhills Senior Flight
Daniel Schott 77 Coudersport
Evan Steffen 77 Chautauqua Golf Club
Spencer Cornelius 78 PFW
Godfrey Nsubuga 78 Carolina eClub NC Foothills
Charles Robbins 78 Totteridge golf course
Jeffrey Schauger 78 River Oaks GC
Carson Swanson 78 Pinehurst GC
Trent Unverdorben 78 Bartlett
Johnny Andhor 79 Links at Sunset Ridge
David Benedict 79 Brooklea CC Senior Flight
Sean Campbell 79 Bartlett
Jimmy Wright 79 The Bartlett
Jake Chapman 80 Bartlett
Jake Kalyan 80 Pennhills
Nolan Swanson 80 Pinehurst GC
Matthew Beaver 81 Cardinal Hills
John Chicola 81 Bartlett CC Senior Flight
Jamie Glatz 81 Unaffliliated
Chase Hartnett 81 Chautauqua Golf Club
Steve Kubiak 81 Smethport Senior Flight
Vinny Liguori 81 Edison Club
Colin Riekofsky 81 Smethport
Richard Russell 81 Bartlett
Dylan Gethicker 82 Spruce ridge
Jon Livak 82 Elkdale
Eric Nenno 82 Bolivar
Jim Brady 83 Bartlett Senior Flight
Cameron Crist 83 Chautauqua Golf Club
Charles Fitzpatrick 83 Double Black Diamond Golf Course
Dominik Henzel 83 Bartlett CC
Knut Johnsen 83 Bartlett
Chris Reiley 83 Pennhills
Elliott Wilber 83 Bartlett
Mark Baire 84 PFW Senior Flight
Paul Bzdak 84 Bartlett CC
Andrew Frank 84 PFW
Evan Jordan 84 None
Liam McArdle 84 Caledonia Country Club
Tyler Salvaggio 84 Cardinal Hills GC
Steve Hnat 85 Pinewood CC
Thomas Padlo 85 Bolivar
Chase Vogtli 85 Bartlett Country Club
William (Bill) Wachob 85 Torrey Pines Senior Flight
Jacob Anderson 86 Smethport CC
Coleman Carls 86 Bartlett
D.J. Dick 86 Bartlett
John Henzel, Jr. 86 Victoria Bryant Highland Walk (GA) Senior Flight
Channing Brainard 87 Moonbrook Country Club
Bob Colligan Jr 88 St Bonaventure
Jaxon Morrison 88 Cardinal hills
Jeff Worth 88 Bartlett
Roy Dwaileebe 89 PFW
Mark Hamed 89 Bartlett CC
Thomas Kane 89 Bartlett
Omar Malik 89 N/A
John Marra 89 Chautauqua Golf Club
Jared Obenrader 89 Hunter’s Station
Curt Barner 90 Kane Country Club
Zachary Deck 90 Allegany Hills
Gus Giardini 90 None
Frank Higgins 90 Bartlett
Levi Howard 90 Pennhills
Michael Hunt 90 Former Area Resident
John Morton 90 Bartlett l
Matthew Phillips 90 Bartlett
Ryan Arvin 91 North Palm Beach Country Club
R.J. Pauly 91 Bartlett
James Stein 91 Birch Run
Kai Caskey 92 Bavarian Hills
Eric Chaffee 92 Bolivar
Tim Jones 92 Bartlett
Kurt Logue 92 Emporium CC
Jon Orcutt 92 Bartlett
Kael Riekofsky 92 Smethport
Lucas Brushingham 93 Bartlett Country Club
Terry Burrows Jr. 93 Bolivar Golf Club
Tony Lewis 93 Birkdale, Huntersville, NC
Dante McHone 93 Bartlett CC
Nick Withers 93 Willowbrook G.C.
Scott Folts 94 BARTLETT
David McPeek 94 Links at Hiawatha
Colin Okerlund 94 Smethport
Anderson Wiltsey 94 Club at Silver Lake
Brandon Johnston 95 Pinehurst GC
Cody Slade 95 Cardinal hills
Terry Turner 95 River Hills CC Senior Flight
Ryan Williams 95 Penn Hills
Ean Wright 95 Pennhills Country Club
Carson Butler 96 Green Harbour
Russell Huber 96 Birch Run Senior Flight
Paul Foley 97 Clifton Springs CC
Brody Frame 97 Bartlett CC
Art Goudie 97 NA
Mark Hendrix 97 Bartlett
Nate George 98 Pennhills Country Club
Kelsey Boudin 100 St. Bonaventure
Bradley Stevens 100 PAR
Jalala Ramadhan 101 Bartlett
Jimmy Williams 103 Bartlett
Vincent Baire 106 Bartlett
Mark Travis 107 Penn hills
David Preston 110 Caledonia country club
Max Baire, Jr. 112 Prior Area Resident
Tim Butler 114 Birch Run
Zachary Green 116 Bartlett
Chris Travis 117 Bartlett
