Boys Golfer of the Year: Oswego East junior Connor Banks, in his second year of competitive golf, was conference champ

Connor Banks’ relatively overnight success as a golfer would seem to suggest that he’s a natural.

But really, it reflects hard work.

Banks, an Oswego East junior, first picked up a golf club 18 months ago. A baseball player growing up, he quickly decided to trade in his bat and ball for driver and putter.

“I got a range membership, went to the range every day,” Banks said, “and worked on my short game and putting. I was out with my friends a few times playing, and realized I really liked it. I was coming to the end of my baseball career and wanted to focus on getting better.”

Banks was one of the Oswego East JV’s top players last year as a sophomore, his first competitive season of golf.

This year, he took off.

On an Oswego East varsity team that had graduated its top three from the program’s first conference champion, Banks quickly emerged as the Wolves’ No. 1.

He shot a 36 against Minooka, a 37 against Sandwich and ended up with a 40.5 nine-hole average, scoring over 40 only once from September on, on a rainy cold day at Mistwood Golf Course. And then, at the Southwest Prairie Conference meet, Banks fired a 72 to become Oswego East’s third consecutive conference champion. Banks followed up that with a 78 at regionals to qualify for sectionals.

“He was a really nice surprise for us,” Oswego East coach Jim Vera said. “He was one of our top guys on JV last year, but his numbers weren’t gaudy. The fact that he started playing competitive golf as a sophomore and by the end of his junior year he was one of the top players in our conference and regional is amazing.”

Banks said he was in fact no overnight sensation. Like for many, golf was tough for him at first. But he does believe that his experience swinging a baseball bat transferred over to his golf swing.

“Baseball definitely helps out with your club speed,” Banks said. “If you ask guys that play baseball that are now playing golf, they’re swinging hard, a lot of the mechanics are the same. I just had to figure out the differences.”

To Vera, the success that Banks enjoyed this season is a shining example for the values he tries to impart on players coming through his program.

“This is what is supposed to happen when you work really hard,” Vera said. “As a coach you tell kids that if they put in the time, good things happen. In a sport like golf that is not always true. It was a great message to our younger kids that if you work hard, you’ll have success. It’s a good motivator for the rest of the kids.”

By the end of August and into September, Vera said that Banks was “locked in.”

“He was able to play his best when we needed him most,” Vera said.

Ironically, Banks said he had not played well previously at the site of the conference tournament, Orchard Valley, or even practiced well there. But it all came together for him at the right time.

“I did not have a ton of expectations,” Banks said. “But I started playing well, I kept my head in it and didn’t think about my final score until the final hole. And then I asked myself ‘Did I really just do that?’”

A good athlete and an exemplary kid, Banks stepped into a leadership role on a young Wolves’ team. His reserved, calm demeanor translated well to the golf course.

“He is really consistent in terms of his demeanor. He can overcome a bad shot better than most kids I have ever coached,” Vera said. “A lot of guys hit a bad shot, and it’s over. He is able to overcome and I think that’s from understanding the game and the work he has put into it.”