Dedication breeds blandness. A dedicated player is focused, unwavering and persistent. If it doesn’t involve the game, it doesn’t interest the player.
Talking with Pacific’s All-American golfer Max Bonk about his plans for the evening is like peeling a walnut. Ask him about the weather, he’s as indifferent as a chuckle. He reminds you of Tiger Woods. He’s monotone and aloof – until you ask him about his swing.
“It’s a bit unorthodox,” Bonk said. “I haven’t had a swing coach since I was 10.”
He’s been hitting the ball about 330 yards lately. But he’ll tell you he likes the strategic courses.
Bonk’s swing isn’t his fault. He’s long with a slim frame and looks more like a runner than a golfer – perhaps because he ran cross country in high school. At 6-foot-2 he’s long enough to send the ball into orbit. Born in Kamuela, Hawaii, playing in golf tournaments wasn’t easy. He won a grant in high school, sponsored by Michelle Wie, from the Hawaii State Junior Golf Association to play in the mainland tournaments.
Today, Bonk is majoring in Environmental Studies at Pacific and playing golf on another level. He understands how golf is affected by every external force, from personal clothing selection to the coarse grass-type.
“In Oregon the grass is different,” he said. “The weather is colder and you have to wear more clothes, so the ball doesn’t go as far.”
Originally, Bonk didn’t think he would be a Boxer. He was slated to go to Humboldt College, but the school decided against fielding a team his freshman year.
“Pacific was my last option,” he said. “I applied but I didn’t expect to go here. I was going to go to Humboldt because they were going to have a golf team. When I got there, they pulled me aside and said they weren’t going to have a team. So, once orientation was over, I left.”
Bonk enjoys the challenge of playing in the Northwest. He says, in reality, it doesn’t matter where he plays as long as he keeps his average score down and his accolades up.
Almost fitting, Friday afternoon, Bonk sat in front of the trophy case at the Pacific Athletic Center. He had already been to class. The course. Shot 18-holes. Worked on his putting. Chipped for a while. Even made it to the driving range.
“I’ve been playing golf since I was five years old,” Bonk said. “My parents never pressured me to play. I play because my brother played and I always wanted to beat him at everything.”
Burt, his brother, is three years older and played golf collegiately at Linfield College.
“It was always fun playing with him growing up,” Max said of his brother. “He is really good, I finally passed him [in ability] in about mid-high school. I kept improving and he hit a slump when he got to college and studied abroad in Japan where he couldn’t golf.”
Max pointed out that golf is a lot like basketball. If he were to stop playing, even for a short period of time, he would lose his touch. And golf, like basketball, is a game of touch as much as it is strength.
Finesse is his game. From his short game to his driver to his full head of hair. In 2009 he was chosen as a Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA)/PING Division III Third Team All-American and chosen to the First Team All-Northwest Conference. In 2008, he was the GCAA/PING Division III West Region Freshman of the Year and the Division III All-West Region Team…Was a finalist for the Phil Mickelson Award, honoring the top Division III freshman golfer in the nation
“I play almost everyday,” he said. “I haven’t missed a day this semester.”
The only thing holding back Bonk’s dedication is the amount of daylight. He often spends most of his free time at the course. He’ll tackle the front nine and identify a few points to master. Then he moves to the driving range to work on his swing. And tees off on the back nine to implement his corrections.
He’s a machine. Everyday he works on improving.
“You cant have everything going perfectly everyday,” he said. “So if I’m having a bad day with my driver, I’ll focus on a having a good day with my irons or a good day putting.”
“Collegiate golf is pretty intense but I like to play the game. Whatever happens, happens. If its a two-day tournament, I say, there’s always the next day.”
That demeanor helped him to All-American status and, at the Pacific Invitational, helped him rebound from a four-over, first-day performance to a five-under second day performance that gave him the tournament win. By a single stroke.
Perhaps his demeanor is rooted in his experience. Bonk has traveled the country and played at so many different courses and in so many different conditions – he never forgets so he is never surprised.
“I don’t mind having a good memory,” he said. “I think to myself, if I boogied this hole yesterday maybe today I’ll try and birdie it. I don’t think I could forget my shots. I’d rather learn from them than forget them.”
Bonk’s mentality will help him succeed at the next level. He plans to jump onto a professional tour after he graduates. He only missing one piece to the puzzle.
“I’ve got to come up with the money to turn pro,” he said. “I need to look into sponsors or people who can help me out. Then I can try out. I’ll start on Monday qualifiers to a Nationwide event. It’s not like getting a contract and you have to get drafted. In golf you can pick a tour and go. I don’t want to get on the PGA tour so I’ll probably go to the Nationwide tour. ”
Until then, he will have to remain an amateur. That means turning down sponsorships and prize money.
“The summer after my freshman year, I played in an open,” he said. “I won the whole thing and I would have gotten $5,000 but I had to turn it down because I was an amateur.”
Emoting for a moment, he smiled.
“It sucked.”
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