At the age of three Ryan Meyer picked up a golf club and began hitting balls. At the age of eight, he entered his first ever golf tournament and fell in love with the sport. Fast forward to today and the Oakdale High School senior continues to impress on the golf course. Earlier this month, Meyer officially signed with University of Arizona to be a part of their golf team as he looks toward college. Meyer had plenty of offers and ultimately made his decision to become a Wildcat.
“There was probably a dozen or so schools that reached out to me,” Meyer said. “For me it was down to three schools. Oregon State, Pepperdine and Arizona. I visited all three campuses and all three are great schools. However, I feel like Arizona is the best fit for me. I have friends there; great golf course and it just seems like the best fit for me.”
Meyer has had a very successful high school career. In 2019 alone, he placed second overall at Divisionals DIII, placed in the top four at Masters, placed first overall in NorCals and finished sixth overall at the CIF State Championship. To make these achievements more special, Meyer stayed under par in each of those tournaments.
“Ryan is a special guy. Very respectful. He was a major contributor to our program. In the two years he played with us, we went undefeated in Valley Oak League play. His work ethic is unmatchable,” said Oakdale High School boys golf coach Lee McGee. “He would show up for practice and take it very seriously. His intensity and focus really helped the others stay focused and pushed them to up their game.”
Meyer also reflected on his own Mustang career: “I always thought of Oakdale High School as a family. The van rides were great, it was a great way to bond. We grew close and that helped us be so successful, we wanted to win for each other.”
Meyer said that winning Valley Oak League as a team was his favorite team memory and playing well at the CIF State Championship and winning NorCal were his most cherished singles accomplishments.
With the 2020 season cut short by COVID-19 shutting down all sports, this did not slow down Meyer.
“When Oakdale Golf and Country Club shut down, I would practice at home. I would chip and putt in the back yard. I always want to try my best and get better whenever I can. So I did not want to just wait and see how long this (the shutdown) would last.”
Although Meyer is still undecided on what he will be majoring in, he is looking forward to both playing golf and being a student at Arizona.
“I am excited to meet my team as well as my professors and classmates.”
He also spoke highly of coach Jim Anderson, after having the chance to meet him.
“Coach Anderson is a great guy. He reminds me of my coaches at Oakdale, made me feel like I was family right off the bat.”
Meyer said he wanted to thank his coaches OHS Lee McGee and Tim Meyer (his father) along with his swinging coach Phil Dawson for helping him prepare for his college career.