Gopher golfer Ben Warian ends 3-year individual win drought, breaks scoring record
MINNEAPOLIS — Gopher Ben Warian will compete as an individual at the men's golf NCAA Stanford Regional starting on Tuesday.
In the Gophers' last regular season tournament, Minnesota won for the first time in a year and a half, and Warian did, too, breaking the program's three-year individual win drought.
"It was really nice to see all of the hard work we've been putting in throughout the spring, certainly, and throughout the year in general, finally pay off," said Warian.
The win also broke a Minnesota scoring record, made possible by a career-best 63 in round two.
"Went nuclear there for a while I guess, which was really fun," said Warian.
The Stillwater native and Hill Murray grad's career has been a slow burn. He was a late bloomer in high school golf and took until his senior year to capture college win number one.
"Was a long time coming for the career. I guess I kinda waited to the last minute to finally get one," said Warian. "It was certainly a hard journey to get the first win. But deeply satisfying as well to get to that."
Now, Warian wants to go out with a bang, carrying the ability to grind as his 15th club.
"I firmly believe that when I've got my stuff I'm one of the best in college and amateur golf," said Warian. "But every bit of that had to be earned."
The U.S. Am in Minnesota will serve as Warian's last event before turning pro, later this summer.