Weather conditions less than optimal this past weekend, when the Cornell golf team took to the links in the Drew Upton Memorial Golf Classic in Westover, MD. The Red was forced to endure sustained winds of 30 mph, sleet, snow, and rain throughout the weekend, posting a combined score of 672. The team placed 15th out of a field of 20 teams.
“I thought we could have done a little better,” said head coach Matt Baughan, “but I couldn’t expect a whole lot out of them.”
The conditions were so bad on Sunday that many golfers were delayed well into the early evening, and final results for the tournament were not announced until days after the event.
The average score for the entire field on Sunday was 85 — 13 strokes above par. Sophomore Kevin Scelfo was a medalist that day, carding a 76, which tied for the best score of the day. On Saturday, freshmen John Patinella and Andrew Turker both managed to score 81. Aside from these three, though, there were few bright spots for Cornell.
“You have to strike the ball well on that golf course. Although we didn’t play exceptionally well, I know we can play much better. It can only get better from here on out,” said Baughan.
Despite the fact that the Cornell team sent no seniors and only one junior to the event, the youthfulness of the group did not have a great effect on the Red’s outcome.
One of the big hindrances to Cornell’s success was the lack of opportunity for practice before playing in the tournament. The Robert Trent Jones Golf Course has been covered with snow since the fall. The golfers cannot make use of the course until the snow melts and the course drys out.
The team should have ample opportunity for practice this coming weekend, as the Mount St. Mary’s Invitational has been canceled. This means that the golfers will have almost two weeks to prepare for their next match, the LeMoyne Invitational at the Links at Sunset Ridge in Marcellus, NY.
Archived article by S.W. Falk