Swinton places 11th, helps Owls win Oregon Tech Invitational

Alaska’s only college golfer has his senior season in full swing.

Oregon Tech’s Tyler Swinton of Haines placed 11th out of 51 men to help the Owls win the Oregon Tech Invitational at the par-72 Running Y Golf Course in Oregon.

Swinton fired a 56-hole total of 228 after shooting rounds of 74-78-76 over the three days of NAIA action.

“I personally didn’t play well,” he told me. “I was playing really good golf in two summer tournaments before the team’s season actually started, but I’ve struggled the last two weeks.”

Swinton was one of four Oregon Tech golfers to finish in the top 11 as the Owls won the team title by 65 strokes.

“Our team is good this year,” Swinton said. “I have high hopes of placing well on the national level this year rather than just in conference.”

Two weeks ago, he finished ninth at the Simpson Invitational at the par-72 Gold Hills Golf Club in Redding, Calif.

He fired a 36-hole total of 156 and took 10 strokes off from one day to the next.

Over his two years at Oregon Tech, Swinton has averaged a score of 74.9 in 27 career rounds.