Galen Fowles sat down all alone alongside the practice putting green outside of the clubhouse at Westover Municipal Golf Course in mid-October. The Northampton golf senior had just found out he missed qualifying for the state tournament by one stroke, and his team had missed out by two – meaning his high school golf career was over.
Fowles’ mind quickly traced all the shots he wished he could’ve had back during his round of 80, knowing there were enough to help the Blue Devils finish in the top three and move on. But those thoughts disappeared as fast as they came. He started to look back on the last four years, the 2021 Western Mass. championship win, the PVIAC championships, and every moment – both good and bad – in between.
That round of 80 was good for eighth place, with the top seven heading to states. Fowles certainly deserved to be in that field of seven considering the amount of time he’s spent perfecting his craft, but it taught him that nothing in life is given. He took full responsibility for the team’s fourth-place finish at the Western Mass. tournament, showing the character and maturity he has even as a young kid.
“That was a tough moment for all of us,” Fowles said. “Given that the margin we needed was so close, that one landed heavily on me being a captain and being a senior and our No. 1 spot. You never want to take responsibility for things like that, and all of us on the team felt like there was a way we could’ve changed the outcome, but I felt that was on me. It was a very good learning lesson for me.”
Despite the disappointing ending, Fowles did plenty over the fall – including zero rounds in the 40s in Northampton’s 16 regular-season matches this year – to earn the Daily Hampshire Gazette’s Golfer of the Year for 2023.
Fowles is now a two-time winner of the award. He won as a junior in 2022, and claimed his second consecutive honor for his spectacular 2023 season.
Spectacular isn’t just a word that describes the year he had – those 11 letters can be used to chronicle his entire career at Northampton. In his four years, a Fowles-led Blue Devils team lost just two total matches. His overall team record with Northampton was 57-2 since joining the program as a freshman.
“Since Galen joined the Northampton Blue Devils, he is fundamentally responsible for the success that we’ve had,” Northampton coach Bob Boulrice said earlier this season. “He’s been a spectacular captain, he’s gonna go on to wonderful things at the University of Rochester and beyond.”
And Fowles’ terrific leadership skills showed when asked about his favorite part of the season. He could have mentioned any of his plethora of individual accomplishments, but instead was quick to point out huge performances from players in different matches throughout the year that helped Northampton to its unblemished 16-0 record.
He mentioned Brett Baranowski’s round of 40 against Hampshire in a tight 169-175 win, and Gus Fallon’s season-best 36 in a 148-149 victory over Longmeadow in the pitch black as daylight faded.
“We had it happen more this year than any other year I can remember, and that’s players stepping up in really important moments to clinch a few of our key victories,” Fowles said. “We had our No. 8, Brett Baranowski, shoot a 40 to help us secure a really close victory, and the big one to me was in our home match against Longmeadow when we finished in the dark. Gus was playing No. 5 in that match, and he came in with a 36 in the last group. Scores like those helped us come away with close wins, and seeing people step up and play well when it was needed most was definitely my favorite part.”
Any golfer knows that in order to score well, the short game must be clicking. It doesn’t matter how far the ball goes off the tee if there is no consistency from 50 yards and in. Fowles had his short game absolutely dialed in 2023. His putter was seemingly automatic. And when Fowles hit a green in regulation, it was a almost a guarantee he’d be walking to the next tee box with at worst a par.
That took his confidence to another level.
“I think overall, throughout the course of the season, the most reliable piece was the short game, particularly my putting,” Fowles said. “It always takes a little bit longer for me to develop that, but it was an element to me that was a very underlying consistent factor through the season.”
That putting catapulted Fowles to have the season he did. He shot 33 twice, a 34, two 35s, and teamed up with his brother Reilly to shoot an incredible 10-under 62 to win their second-straight PVIAC Two-Ball Invitational back in October.
The two brothers together have been a near-unstoppable force as the No. 1 and 2 golfers for Northampton. Galen certainly didn’t take for granted the time he shared on the links with his younger brother.
“I enjoyed these past three years that I’ve gotten to play with him so much,” Fowles said. “Having him with me just helped me enjoy the whole high school experience a lot more. I really enjoy and value my time getting to play with Reilly. Every time I’m out there with him, it makes the experience so much better, so it’s definitely going to be a little bit of a change next year. And one that I’m going to miss.”
Next fall, Fowles will attend the University of Rochester to study environmental science and further his athletic passion for golf with a very good Yellowjackets team that has national championship aspirations at the Division 3 level.
Before his senior campaign at Northampton even began, Fowles understood it was the final opportunity to play with his friends and brother – so he cherished every moment, no matter how small or large.
And considering the outcome, it looks like he made the most of it.
“It was a very special year, and I was really looking forward to it throughout the summer. Getting to play with my friends on the team who I’ve been with for four years, getting to play with Reilly for the final time, I was really looking forward to that,” Fowles said. “This year was just a culminating piece to a really positive, really fun experience in high school golf these past four years.”
