Stephen Scialo grew up on a golf course. Literally.

“I live on the 17th hole,” Scialo said of his family’s home on the Dellwood Country Club golf course in New City, N.Y.

The senior comes from a family of avid golfers. His father plays and his older brother Chris, who played for Towson, was ranked 38th nationally by the time he graduated in 2009.

He was a four-year member of the golf team at Clarkstown High School North.  Scialo showed promise when he medaled at the Metropolitan Golf Association Amateur in 2008 when he shot a 65, tying the course record.

So, it was only natural for Scialo to climb through the ranks of the Delaware men’s golf team to become one of its top players. He received the CAA Men’s Golfer of the Week Wednesday after a solid performance at the Villanova Wildcat Invitational in Richmond.

“I’ve been at the dinner for two years and I’ve always wanted to get that recognition,” Scialo said. “It emphasized how hard I’ve been working this spring.”

He secured his highest finish of the season at the competition, and carded a 10-over-par 77-75-71-223 on the par 71, 7,055-yard White Manor Country Club course April 3. He finished in fourth place at the tournament.

Scialo has played in all nine tournaments for the Hens this year, and currently ranks second on the team with a round average of 75. He has been a top 10-finisher on the team three times this season.

“He has the ability to turn bad rounds into respectable rounds,” head coach Mike Keogh said. “I never have to worry about him.”

Scialo worked his magic the second day of the Wildcat Invitational with an even-par 71, leading the Hens to a tie for second place out of 14 squads.

The award was his first CAA Men’s Golfer of the Week. Despite Scialo’s excitement over the recent accolade, he said his biggest achievement at the university was being named captain of the golf team. He serves as co-captain with fellow senior Greg Matthias.

“It’s a completely different role,” Scialo said. “It’s more like you’re the top guy. I’ve been playing really well this year, and I’m also one of the best players on the team, so if I have something to say, it will be easier for someone to listen to me.”

The finance major said he knows he won’t be playing the sport forever because he already has a job lined up after graduation. He chose to attend Delaware due to the business program, the recruitment process and the “awesome” campus.

“It’s kind of like weird to think that this is kind of ‘it’ for me,” Scialo said. “After this year, I have other things going on, so it’s a different feeling.”

With graduation nearing, Scialo still has at least two meets to play. He said he wants the team to play well at the CAA tournament, hosted at the Wilmington Country Club this spring, in order to make the NCAA tournament.

Keogh said he has prepared the squad by getting the men “against really, really good competition,” including Bowling Green, Ohio State and the recent match against top-10 Penn State at the Rutherford Intercollegiate in State College, Pa. on Saturday and Sunday.

“Steve individually has a legitimate shot to be the low individual to still go to the NCAAs,” Keogh said.

The three-year letter winner will leave big shoes to fill. He has averaged 76.56 shots during 75 career rounds, the eighth lowest average in Delaware history.

“He is the team character,” Keogh said. “He keeps everyone laughing, keeps everybody loose. He’s your ‘what if’ man.”