Dylan Zhang ’26, a golfer from Hong Kong, China, finished second overall individually at the Dickinson Spring Invitational on Saturday, April 15. Zhang’s two-round score of 138 (-6), with 71 (-1) in the opening round and 67 (-5) in the final round, set a new 36-hole program record by five strokes and tied the Swarthmore record for the best single round score in his second round. As a team, Swarthmore men’s golf has won four tournaments this season so far. Their team score in the second round of the Dickinson tournament was 286, which ranks second all-time in program history. The team also shot four-under-par, which set a new program record. The Garnet will participate in the Gettysburg Spring Shootout on Saturday, April 22.
Abby Chang: How did it feel to tie the program record for the best single round score, and how did it feel to place second at the Dickinson Spring Invitational?
Dylan Zhang: It was definitely a relief to come in second after struggling at the start of the season. It was nice to see the program record broken, but I believe the team can break some more soon.
AC: What have been some of the highlights of the season?
DZ: One highlight was playing through Hurricane Ian. It was nice to play golf when you can’t feel your hands or feet with rain dripping through your glasses and clothes.
AC: What is one thing you would like people to know about your sport?
DZ: One thing people should know is that whacking a ball forward is not everything, you gotta at least whack it somewhat straight, and somehow roll it in the right direction to the hole.
AC: Do you have any pre-tournament or post-tournament rituals?
DZ: One pre-tournament ritual that I have is getting all the toxins out of my body, physically and mentally, especially getting bad thoughts out of the mind. A post-tournament ritual I have is eating bananas.
AC: What is your favorite thing to do with the team outside of practice?
DZ: Banana leaf dinner is fun as a team, lots of solid banter and comments that need forgiveness.
AC: Why did you choose Swarthmore? What is your area of study?
DZ: I chose Swarthmore because it’s a small and suburban community close to a city. I hope to major in economics and minor in history.
AC: What is your favorite class that you have taken at Swarthmore?
DZ: Favorite class so far is Intro to Linguistics with Professor Fuller Medina. It is fun to learn how to make certain noises and learn more about your own language.
AC: Favorite Dining Center bar?
DZ: Pizza bar is my favorite because the pepperoni pizza never misses.
