Presented by U.S. Bank.

Ryan Wallen isn’t going to impress you with booming drives, or 200-yard seven irons.  That’s not his game.

The Cowboy senior excels at the mental part of golf, something that’s harder to coach.

Wallen and his Wyoming teammates are having a busy week. On Monday and Tuesday they competed in the Duck Invitational at Eugene and finished in a tie for eighth. Today through Saturday they are playing the Goodwin tournament hosted by Stanford University.  The Pokes are one of 24 teams nationwide who have been invited to this prestigious event.

“He’s not a lot of flash and dash,” says his head coach Joe Jensen of Wallen.  “He has great focus and attitude, and does all the little things well.  The key to his success is his attitude and mentality. He has emotional consistency, never too low, or never too high.  When you see him walk off the green it’s difficult to tell whether he made birdie or bogey. He is a special guy because he loves it all, he loves the process, the practice, the grind, and being a teammate.”

If you couldn’t tell, Jensen is sold on his lone senior Cowboy. “He’s as well-rounded and grounded of a guy you’ll ever see,” Jensen continues.  “He’s just a great human being.  He’s personable and friendly and loves people.  Make no mistake he is an excellent competitor. He allows me to work hard for him as a coach because he works so hard.

“I will say this, I don’t know if I’ve ever been around one of our student-athletes who is more appreciative of what he has, and who loves Wyoming more than Ryan.  He is really proud to represent this state and university.”

Sitting down for a visit with him is a treat. He is engaging, outgoing, and one of those individuals whom, upon meeting, you feel like you’ve known for years.

“I really like people and love getting to know them.  We know, and play golf with so many people who take it way too seriously.  I want to visit with guys during a round.  I want to get to know them.  If I find they are too serious I back off and let it go, but that’s not as much fun.  The game of golf is supposed to be fun.”

Wallen came to Wyoming because it was his only Division I opportunity.  “I will be forever grateful to Joe (Jensen) for giving me this chance.  He gave me a shot at D-I golf, and that’s all I wanted.”

Ryan (along with his dad, Jerry) sent letters to schools all over the country trying to generate interest in him.  They didn’t receive many responses.  It appeared that he was on his way to Western Washington, a Division II school who wanted him to come there.   But a few weeks before he was heading off to college he received the call from Jensen.

“He said I want you to fly out and take a look at being a Cowboy,” Wallen recalls. “After I made my visit, I knew I was coming.  I could feel the ‘family’ and I was sold. Like every other freshman, it was hard at first, leaving home for the first time, and coming to a completely new environment.  I wasn’t sure if I could hang in there.  But I’m so happy I did.  I love it here.  There is a sense of community at this school, in town and in the state that I believe is like no place else. I love being a Cowboy and I’m totally invested in this place.”

There is no question Wallen is an excellent athlete, but has been able to separate himself and play on the D-I level because he has conquered the mental part of the game. “I think I can compete on a high level because I’m even-keeled.  When I took this leap—and I dreamed of playing D-I golf—I certainly knew I couldn’t bomb big drives.  But I felt I could separate myself because of my attitude.  In my opinion, attitude is the biggest factor in golf.  It totally affects how you play.  This game has always been super fun for me, and if you don’t look at it that way, I think it’s hard to play well.”

Wallen is definitely the team leader as its only senior.  His teammates come to him looking for, advice on the mental approach to the game.  He’s more than happy to help.  “People don’t look at golf as a team sport,” he says.  “But it really is.  The commoradorie we have is very special.  There’s a big individual aspect to it for sure, but we are a team and we really support each other.”

When Wallen signed to play at Wyoming, the golf program’s new practice facility was not yet a reality. “When I came here, we were still hitting balls in the Fieldhouse during the winter months. It was fun, but it wasn’t really helping us compete on a high level. It’s amazing what the new facility has done for us. It has made us better, just look at our scores and our finishes.  Our scores are lower, that’s just a fact.

“Not only does it have state-of-the-art technology, but it has allowed us to hang out as a team, practice together, and improve together.  The simulator, the hitting bays all of it is making us better.”

Wallen was an outstanding high school athlete.  He played basketball, he was a tennis player, he played golf, he played hockey. But he loved baseball, and golf.  I was a catcher and just loved the game, I still do. Early-on I was a better baseball player.  I started hitting golf balls when I was 11 or 12, and actually began competing in the eighth grade.  As a golfer, I would say I was behind the kids who began playing at an earlier age.  I was probably middle to lower half.  But I finished second in the state tournament my freshman year, and I really got into it, and started playing much better.  In the end, I felt I would have more opportunity to get a college scholarship through the game of golf, so I went that direction.”

Most of us who play the game can’t imagine how much fun it would be to receive a college scholarship and play golf. Wallen agrees.  “Hey, it’s as great as you think it would be,” he says.  “What’s not to like, we play on great golf courses in warm weather, against the country’s best collegiate players.  It’s an awesome experience.”

He enjoys meeting new players during competition, and has made some good friends, but at the same time is fully aware of the pressure that’s involved.  “I really enjoy meeting people, and have made a lot of good buddies who I enjoy seeing at various tournaments. You can really get to know someone on a golf course.

“But make no mistake, there’s pressure.  It is always there, the courses, the competition.  Some of these courses are long and very difficult.  You have to compete and play well to stay in the lineup. It’s results-driven, there’s no doubt.  The competition adds to the pressure.  But in the long run, it’s how you handle that pressure.  In the final analysis, we all pretty much hit it the same, some a little farther than others, but about the same.  It is the mental aspect that separates us.

Wallen is majoring in business and plans to earn a graduate degree in that area.  “My dad owns a carpet-cleaning business, and I would enjoy working with him at some stage.  I think with my business background I could help him.  But first I want to get my (professional) card, and play a lot of open tournaments. But I would like to coach as well.  I think I could bring a lot to coaching, especially the mental part of the game.”

Does he have a favorite golf course?  “Being from Washington, I like tree-lined courses. But don’t get me wrong, desert courses are super-fun too.  It’s just not the same to me.  In the northwest you have to be super creative. It can be tough, the rain, the wind, the trees.  But you have to embrace those things and not let them get to you.”

There’s that attitude again.  The Wallen Factor!