The Cornell golf team traveled to Bethlehem, Penn. this weekend for the Stabler Invitational at Lehigh University.
It did not come home with the results it desired.
The Red finished 15th out of 17 teams, shooting a two day total of 635. Princeton won the event with a stellar 596. Pennsylvania and Colgate were tied for second at 603.
Junior Ross LaFleur shot 80 on the opening day, following that with 78 for a 158 total, leaving him tied for 48th in the tournament.
Senior Conor Brownell and newcomer Justin Watzka were just a shot behind LaFleur, both carding 159 for 36 holes. Watzka shot the lowest 18-hole score for the Red in the event, with a 75 on Saturday. These two were part of a group tied for 54th at the tournament.
Junior Dave Nayak, who has been a stalwart for the Red thus far, shot 80-82 for a 162 total. This left him in a tie for 68th position.
Junior Tim Roth rounded out the scoring for Cornell, as he posted a 163, with rounds of 84 and 79.
Bryan Derdenger of George Washington and Ken Kosteva of Bucknell both shot 145 for the 36 holes of regulation, and Derdenger won the playoff to take home the individual title.
Nat Hoopes of Princeton, the Ivy Champion last year, shot 148 and was tied for sixth. Mike Russell of Penn also carded a 148.
“This tournament gave us a chance to size up our Ivy League competition, and it gives us a lot of motivation to practice harder for the upcoming spring season,” Nayak said of what the squad took from the event.
Archived article by J.V. Anderton