SLIPPERY ROCK — Picking a college proved to be more stressful for Brett Rinker than sinking a 15-foot putt to win a tournament.

“Oh, it is such a big relief,” Rinker said. “It was so stressful, especially when you don’t know who is interested in you and who is not.”

Rinker, who just concluding his senior year on Slippery Rock High’s golf team, chose his college destination Tuesday, signing a letter of intent to attend Bowling Green University.

“It was a moment I dreamt about since I was probably 14,” Rinker said.

Rinker had a slew of schools to choose from, notably Robert Morris University where his sister, Jenna, plays.

Penn State University and Youngstown State University were also on his short list.

He chose Bowling Green because the school offers his major, marketing, and plays a competitive golf schedule, making annual trips to California and Alabama.

“I really liked the campus and the schedule,” Rinker said. “They play golf at the national level. They travel a lot and that’s something I’m used to doing and enjoy.”

Bowling Green recently hired a new men’s golf coach in Kevin Farrell, who was coming off a Northeast Conference Coach of the Year honor after leading Mount St. Mary’s to its first conference championship.

“He’s trying to bring in better players,” Rinker said of Farrell. “The program wasn’t where it wanted to be and he’s trying to build something great. I wanted to be a part of that.”

Rinker also believes playing at Bowling Green will make him a better golfer.

“I thought about where I could go to improve my golf career,” Rinker said. “This was the best place.”

There certainly was nothing wrong with his golf career at Slippery Rock.

Rinker was the medalist 36 times in his career. He advanced to the PIAA tournament during his freshmen, sophomore and senior seasons, finishing third as a sophomore and second this fall.

He finished with an under-par season average in region play the last two seasons.

“Looking back, I think I did have a really nice high school career,” Rinker said. “I didn’t expect to make it to states when I was a freshman. That was pretty neat. Last year was disappointing, but I bounced back this year and got second in the state. I had a lot of fun. I had fun with my teammates. It’s going to be different now that it’s over.”

What won’t be different is Rinker’s attention to detail.

He spends hours on the range and practice gree n honing his swing and putting.

Rinker said he plans on putting in even more time as he prepares for the next chapter of his career.

“I’m not going to take the summer off, that’s for sure,” Rinker said. “I’m definitely going to play in tournaments and continue to try to get better.”