The Tarheel Tour Interview with Andy Bare

Andy Bare is one of the great success stories on the Tarheel Tour. He has gone from having to walk on to the UNC-Greensboro golf team to being one of the top mini-tour players in the country in just a few short years. Andy participated in the 2006 U.S. Open at Winged Foot, and is currently third on the 2007 Tarheel Tour money list with over $45,000 in earnings. He leads the tour with six top-3 finishes in only 12-events this season. We spoke with Andy after he finished second at the Spring Creek Classic back in June.

Andy you’ve played the Tarheel Tour for the past three years and in that time you’ve gotten a great deal better. You’ve gone from being a player trying to make the cut week in and week out to a player that is considered one of the favorites every week. What about your game has changed over the past few seasons? What have you been working on?

Andy Bare: Well as far as what I’ve been working on I’ve spent a lot of time in the off season with my teacher Andrew Rice down in Hilton Head trying to make my swing more consistent to where my misses are more in play. I’m not struggling to make the cuts. The weeks I have struggled a little bit, I’ve found a way to make the cut, but when I get it going it seems like I’m going to be a factor come the third round.

Andy you are unquestionably one of the fastest learners on the Tarheel Tour. You have six top-3 finishes already in 2007 but have been unable to win. How do you turn those high finishes into victories?

Andy Bare: I’m having that one mediocre round right now out of a three round tournament and these guys that win every week, they don’t have a let down round, all three days are good rounds. The final round last week; I just couldn’t get it going until it was almost too late, until the back nine.

So I just have to come out more aggressive for all three days. I’ve had stretches this year where I’ve had great first rounds and so so second rounds and really good final rounds. I just can’t put all three together the same week. I think that it takes an aggressive mindset and you can’t hold back out here.

You left high school almost completely ignored by Division One golf programs. You didn’t play at UNC Greensboro as a freshman; but you were able to walk on the team as a sophomore, and the rest is history. How have you been able to go from a borderline college golfer to one of the best mini tour players in the country in just a few years? What’s your secret?

Andy Bare: I don’t know if there is a secret. A lot of people ask me about taking time off after high school and transitioning into college. At that point I really didn’t know what I wanted to do, I didn’t know if golf was for me; and then one day I decided it was for me. I went to college and had some success there and came out to the Tarheel Tour and found that, I didn’t know if it was going to be easy, hard or what it was going to be like. I guess I’ve had a fair amount of success out there as well as on other mini tours around the country. I think confidence grows with success and I’ve proven to myself that I can play with anybody. I never enter a tournament thinking I can’t win. But as far as getting better quickly, I really don’t have an answer for that.

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Of the current crop of Tarheel Tour players, who do you think our readers should keep an eye on to break through and gain status on either the Nationwide or PGA Tour next year?

Andy Bare: The first name that really jumps out to me is William McGirt. I would be very shocked if he wasn’t somewhere next year. Every week the guy’s right there. Tommy Gainey is another player who is just really talented. I could honestly see everyone in the top ten on our money list right now being somewhere else next year. Unfortunately for the Tarheel Tour or maybe fortunately we’d be representing the tour well in other places. There’s just so many good players this year on our tour that I think quite a few guys have a chance to play at the next level.

One of the guys that you didn’t mention is Roberto Castro. You were paired with him in the final round at Spring Creek. It was only his second professional event yet he managed to bring it home and nip you out at the end. What are your impressions of Castro and how impressive is it to you that he won out here in only his second event as a professional?

Andy Bare: It’s real impressive. It’s kind of like Kyle Reifers last year (winning in his first start). These college kids come out with loads of confidence and their not scared; and not that anyone should be but I would think that there would be some type of learning curve from college to professional golf as far as how to get it done; and he played great the last day. None of us really did anything spectacular on the front nine and then he eagled nine. It was like a light bulb just went off. I was thinking to myself down the back stretch that there’s no way I would have hit a couple of the shots that he hit with a two shot lead, especially to the tucked pins on the par threes. But he fired right at them and went birdie- birdie. That basically locked it up. But he’s a really nice kid and has a lot of talent.

What are some of your favorite venues on the Tarheel Tour and why?

Andy Bare: I really liked Spring Creek a lot. It’s nice to go play on northern type grasses. I think it brings different shots into the game. I also like Cabarrus a lot. I think a lot of people do. There are a lot of great risk reward holes out there, and a lot of trouble on the par three’s. I think it’s a good challenge. The rough is usually up. I like any golf course that is set up with rough and fast greens. It makes hitting it straight as well as controlling the distance with your irons shots into the greens important. I think it proves the better winner.

Let’s talk about the rest of your 2007 season for. Obviously the goal for you is to end up on the PGA tour by the end of the year. What are you working on to prepare for Q-School this fall?

Andy Bare: The last couple of years I’ve played a couple of tournaments in a row leading into the first stage. I think this year I’m going to take the week off beforehand. That sticks out in my mind right now.

As far as my golf swing, probably just keep working on what I’ve been working on, trying to get the putter a little more consistent. I think I just need to change my mental aspect just a little bit towards the more aggressive side. I keep going into the last rounds of these tournaments being within a couple shots of the lead and not pulling it off. The next time you see me get in that position, I’m either going to go down swinging or I’m going to come out with a win. I’m going to change my game plan a little bit in that regard.

What do you do to take your mind off of golf and what are your interests outside of the game?

Andy Bare: Well right now it’s a busy time for me. I’m getting ready to move into a new townhouse so, I’m going to try to handle all that and be out there playing in golf tournaments. But I like to fish a lot, watch movies; I play a lot when I’m home. So it’s not like I really take much time off. I don’t think you can at this level. It is at least a six-day a week job.

Andy, Thanks for your time. Good luck the rest of the season and beyond.

Andy Bare: No problem. Anytime.