RAISING ’CANES
Can’t blame Glastonbury’s Tyler Van Dyke for savoring his ‘cool journey’ at Miami
A few games into his career as the University of Miami’s starting quarterback, Tyler Van Dyke was at a turning point.
The Hurricanes were trailing North Carolina, 31-17.
“At halftime, I was talking to [offensive coordinator Rhett] Lashlee,” Van Dyke said. “And he told me, ‘Just go believe in yourself. I know you can do it. You’ve proven it in practice. I went out there and everything just started clicking, my confidence, playing well, everything started going uphill after that.”
Van Dyke and Miami rallied, but lost 45-42 to fall to 2-4. A week later Van Dyke, from Glastonbury and Suffield Academy, threw for 325 yards and four TDS in a victory over NC State and was on his way. By the end of the season, Van Dyke had thrown for 300-plus yards in six games in a row and was named the ACC’S offensive and overall rookie of the year.
Confidence, Bill Parcells always said, comes from demonstrated ability. Now Van Dyke demonstrated it, and he’s one of two Connecticut-bred quarterbacks, including Will Levis from Xavier High now at Kentucky, around whom first-round hype is building for 2023.
“People will show me that and I’ll see it on Instagram accounts or ESPN,” Van Dyke said. “I mean, it’s just a projection. I still have to go prove myself and do what I do on the field and then I’ll pay attention to it after.”
Van Dyke has been home during May, working out mornings at Suffield Academy.
A business/real estate major, Van Dyke had just finished an on-line class in business critical thinking before talking with The Courant on Thursday. He has about 20 name-image-likeness deals, with one coming up with a real estate company, an industry he’d like to try after football.
“It’s right for college athletes to get paid, because it brings a lot of money to the school and a lot of entertainment to the fans,” he said. “It’s definitely changed my life, being able to promote my
start to the PGA Championship since 2015. And then he limped away for an afternoon of ice baths.
“I just can’t load it,” Woods said of his right leg, injured in February 2021. “Loading hurts, pressing off it hurts, and walking hurts, and twisting hurts. It’s just golf. I don’t play that, if I don’t do that, then I’m all right.”
Mcilroy had a one-shot lead over Pebble Beach winner Tom Hoge and Will Zalatoris, who finished his 66 with a 30-foot birdie, his fourth putt of 25 feet or longer.
Justin Thomas, trying to shake off a
sinus infection and allergies, made one of only four birdies on the 18th hole for a 67 in the afternoon, when greens had more foot traffic and scoring was more difficult. Also a 67 were Matt Kuchar and Abraham Ancer.
The start was just what Mcilroy needed as he tries to end nearly eight years without a major, many of those chances doomed by bad starts. This was his lowest start to par in a major since a 5-under 66 when he won the PGA at Valhalla in 2014, the last of his four majors.
In seven previous majors at Southern Hills, the winner had at least a share of the lead after the first round and every champion was atop the leaderboard from 36 holes until it over.
That bodes well for Mcilroy, and so does his game. He chose to attack with driver, leaving him wedges to par 4s and and 3-iron into a pair of par 5s that measure 628 yards and 665 yards.
“I feel like this course, it lets you be pretty aggressive off the tee if you want to be, so I hit quite a lot of drivers out there and took advantage of my length and finished that off with some nice iron play and some nice putting,” he said.
Masters champion Scottie Scheffler had to save par from a tee shot in
the water on 18th hole for a 71, his first time over par in two months.
“I didn’t shoot myself out of it,” he said.