Bryan Vencill was the lone San Ramon Wolf golfer recently qualifying for the NCS Tournament of Champions at Rooster Run Golf Club in Petaluma. He has been playing on the San Ramon Golf team since his freshman year and is now a senior.
“My handicap is 0 and I plan on attending Cal Poly next year and attempting to make their golf team as a walk on,” he said.
He started playing golf when he was 3 years old. “I would just swing a plastic club around the house then hit it a few times on the course,” he recalled. “I started playing competitively when I was 9 years old and played many junior tournaments each summer.”
Golf comes with good times and bad times, he says. One of his worst experiences was when he was playing in his first U.S. Junior Amateur qualifier at Stanford University. “I was very nervous because it was a big step for me,” said Vencill. “I was playing the first hole and assessed a 2-stroke penalty for my dad caddying for me. It was against the rules to have a direct family member carrying the bag. I didn’t read that in the rules so my first big tournament did not go well. I continued to play but missed the cut. I learned that golf is a game where you need to learn from the bad experiences and not get upset about them.”
“On the other hand, one of the good times was when I was playing in a PGA Junior Series Event at Dark Horse Golf Course in Auburn,” he continued. Shooting a 78 the first day, Vencill was 6 strokes off the lead. The second day he finished birdie, eagle, birdie, par to shoot a round of 68. “This was my best tournament round and it qualified me for a playoff to win. Although I lost in the playoff, it taught me that anything could happen and to never give up,” he said.
“Golf has taught me many important lessons,” Vencill added, “to release my emotions and only worry what can be done and not what one cannot control. Focusing on the present helps you execute a good shot and increase your confidence. Having confidence is very important to be able to play the game well.”
Measure A asks Contra Costa voters to decide future of county's urban limit lineMay 11, 2026 9:05 am