Golf and The College of Wooster were in Scott Nye’s blood
right from birth. However, for those who think his induction into
the "W" Association Hall of Fame was a foregone conclusion …
it wasn’t nearly that simple.
Growing up as the second son of Wooster’s legendary golf and
soccer coach, Bob Nye, one might assume that Scott was pushed to
play the sports dad enjoyed best and attend the school dad coached
at, but that was not the case at all.
"Even though (Scott) wanted to, we didn’t let him start
hitting (golf) shots until he was six or seven," explained the
elder Nye. "He played basketball and soccer, and was good at both
of those. He played some baseball, too. We wanted him to try a lot
of different things before saying this is what I like to do."
In his early teen years, Scott decided golf would be his sport. He
displayed a lot of potential during his secondary education,
captaining Wooster High School’s state championship team in
1980 and winning the Cardinal Conference title twice as an
individual (1979-80). Although Scott thought he was still just
scratching the surface of his golf ability, he needed to go to a
college that offered more than that.
"I chose Wooster because I needed some extra attention to help me
become a better student," remarked Scott. "My grades were poor in
high school and I needed some help. The late Byron Morris had a
large impact on my decision."
While working to improve his academics, Scott also used a
"tireless work ethic," according to his dad and coach, to better
his golf game and make an immediate impact with the Scots. He
earned the first of his All-American honors, tying for 28th at the
NCAA Division III Championships as a freshman (75-77-78-77).
Although Scott’s sophomore season ended with his highest
finish at the NCAA tournament — a tie for third (74-79-78-72)
and only six strokes off the national champion’s pace —
it was his junior year that he considers his best, and with good
reason. Scott, now 40, was the medalist at the Wooster Invitational
with a then-tournament record of 143 and finished in a tie for
first-place (221) at the Penn State Invitational, which was
comprised mostly of Division I teams, followed by his earning
first-team All-Ohio Athletic Conference honors and honorable
mention status on the All-America Team.
To cap his career, Scott won the first-ever North Coast Athletic
Conference individual championship (74-75) and tied for 22nd at the
NCAA Championships (79-76-76-73), joining his brother and
fellow
"W" Hall-of-Famer, Greg, as the program’s only four-time
All-Americans.
Scott has continued to excel in golf since his days at Wooster. He
won seven events as a pro in the eastern Pa., and Washington, D.C.,
area, and currently is in his fourth year as the head golf
professional at Merion Golf Club in Ardmore, Pa., rated among
America’s Top 100 Golf Courses by Golf Digest. Prior to that,
he was the head pro for 11 years at the Country Club of York.
Personally, Scott and his wife, Sissy, have three children —
Scotty (9), Leigh (7), and Thomas (4) — and reside in Bryn
Mawr, Pa.
All in all, it was a great four years for father and son.
"Sometimes playing for your father can be very difficult for both
father and son," said Scott. "For me, it was a blast and just right
for me at that time in my life. It was a great experience, one that
I will always cherish."
Dad concurred, "(Scott) was a very comfortable person to work
with. He was most willing to accept the responsibilities of leading
the team … (and) was always prepared to do a good job
competitively."
