Gyan Bains is a junior from Olympia, WA, and a member of the Swarthmore men’s golf team. This weekend, April 22-24, the Garnet finished fourth in the Centennial Conference Championships in Hershey, PA. Bains placed sixth overall with a three-round score of 219 (+9) and set a new program-low record with a 54-hole total.
Jacinta Fernandes-Brough: How do you feel about your own and the team’s performance at the Championship tournament last weekend?
Gyan Bains: I’m happy with the way that we played. All five of us will tell you that we left some shots out there — but we definitely don’t get the same quality of practice as the rest of the conference — so for all of us to go out there and remain focused and competitive through three rounds is something to be proud of.
JF: What has been your most memorable moment of the season?
GB: The most memorable moment was the last day of the Championships. Both of our coaches are retiring at the end of the season, so sitting with them and watching the two seniors, Ankur and Mike, finish their final collegiate round was pretty special.
JF: How have you found the transition of returning to play after COVID?
GB: I was able to play a good amount of golf while classes were remote, so my game wasn’t too rusty, but it’s been nice to be back and playing with my teammates.
JF: What is your favorite thing to do with the team outside of practice?
GB: Playing basketball with the guys is always fun. We made a pretty solid run in intramurals this year.
JF: Do you have any pre- or post-meet rituals?
GB: I like to get a yoga practice in pre-tournament. It helps with my flexibility and also gets me into a focused and transcendental state before the round.
JF: Why did you choose Swarthmore?
GB: The small class sizes and academics really appealed to me. I also appreciate how I’m able to put school before golf whenever I need to.
JF: What is your major and why?
GB: I’m majoring in economics and computer science. I like how diverse the topics are and the applications of economics, but I really enjoy programming as well.
JF: What is your favorite class that you’ve taken at Swarthmore?
GB: My favorite class was definitely Behavioral Economics. I probably appreciated Professor Bhanot’s golf anecdotes the most out of any of my classmates.
JF: Favorite Sharples bar?
GB: I’m a big fan of the pasta bar. The bolognese and vodka sauces are my go-tos.
