On a muggy, rainy day at Athens Country Club, junior Andrew Mlynarski asked Ohio coach Bob Cooley with a smirk, “Hey coach, do I look good today?”
Cooley laughed and replied, “Everything below your head and shoulders looks good.”
The jovial relationship between coach and player extends beyond Mlynarski’s collegiate career, as Cooley, Ohio University’s director of golf since 2002, also coached his older brother John from 2008 to 2012.
“I really rely on my dad and brother,” Andrew said. “If it wasn’t for them and coach Cooley, I wouldn’t be playing. They’ve had the biggest influence, not only in my golf career, but also in my life.”
Cooley has now coached three Maryland golfers in the past five seasons, including Andrew and John, who hail from St. Michaels, Md.
John was one of the best golfers for the Bobcats during his freshman year, garnering, on per-round average, 76.98 in 10 tournaments.
Recognizing his brother’s success, Andrew jumped on the idea of playing for Ohio.
“Johnny played for four years here, and he was a good player,” Cooley said. “I knew he had a little brother, Drew, who came to some of the tournaments. I took a chance on Drew when I found out he was interested in coming here.”
After one collegiate season playing alongside his brother, Andrew has since shown growth as a player and teammate.
“He definitely doesn’t hit the ball as hard as some of the other guys,” Cooley said. “But he’s an extremely hard worker, and he’s a good kid and a good student. It’s hard not to like him.”
This year, Andrew ranked second among Ohio players in birdies at the Sept. 21-22 Wolf Run Intercollegiate and posted his first top-20 finish at the Marshall Invitational the week prior.
“I definitely look up to him,” freshman Ty Herriott said. “He’s always joking around and always having a good time with the team. He’s a really good guy and is always looking to improve his game.”
Herriot and Andrew are longstanding friends, as they played together on the all-Maryland team in the 2011 Middle Atlantic PGA Capital Cup — a summer tournament for high school players in Maryland and Virginia. Herriott played golf only 85 miles away from Andrew, as he resides in Brandywine, Md.
After the 2011 tournament, Herriott received the idea to inquire about Ohio’s golf program through Andrew.
“In 2011 (Ty) contacted me,” Andrew said. “We were both on the same Maryland team, as it was my last junior golf tournament. When we met, we just immediately hit it off. He such a cool guy, and I could tell he was a team player, and I could tell he would be a good asset to Ohio’s team.”
The friendship between the two grew right from the get-go.
“In the tournament he was our first guy in the lineup, and he just battled all the way through the course,” Andrew said. “I remember him being on the sideline jumping up and down and cheering me on. Right from there, I knew this guy was a team player.”
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With the Maryland connection deep and entrenched on the Ohio roster, Mlynarski said he is fortunate for the things he has learned at Ohio and will continue Herriott’s collegiate career after he graduates.
“He’s a good friend to me,” Herriott said. “I don’t know if I would be here without him. Some guys on the team would say I act and remind them a lot of him.”
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