Even though the weather conditions were tough, the Red was was still able to pull through for a third consecutive top-10 finish, earning ninth place at the Yale Spring Invitational over the weekend.
Leading the Red was freshman Robert Cronheim, who finished in a five-way tie for 16th, and Perry, who finished in a four-way tie for 33rd place. The winds and the snow to proved to be a major factor throughout the invitational.
[img_assist|nid=22744|title=Feeling it.|desc=The golf team traveled to New Haven, Conn., for last weekend’s Yale Invitational, finishing ninth.|link=node|align=left|width=100|height=79]
“The conditions each day were cold and windy, both of which made it very difficult to play for all of us,” said junior Bret Perry. “All of the scores at the tournament were reflective of this. It snowed each day for a few brief moments and we had 20 to 25 mph winds.”
Cornell fell behind its competition early, shooting a first-day score of 312. Despite the rough opening, the Red continued to focus and compete for a strong finish.
“Strategy was to never give up. We knew it was going to be tough and that our attitudes would determine how well we would play,” Perry said. “To a certain extent, the conditions made your scores out of your control. All you could do was put forth a conscious effort and not let the rest bother you.”
The Red continued to play catch-up with a two-day total of 630, finishing the competition in ninth place, with the University of Hartford winning the invitational. Despite the overall ninth-place finish, the Red was still disappointed with its performance.
“We didn’t play well,” said head coach Matt Baughan. “We had a tough time putting — the greens for us were tough. There wasn’t any rhythm or consistency. Nobody is happy about their performance.”
Even with its ninth-place finish, the Red still fell short of league rivals Yale, Brown and Harvard, who all finished 20 strokes ahead of Cornell. Cornell did finish ahead of Dartmouth by six strokes, however, and still feels confident about its chances in the Ivy League.
“We’ve demonstrated at multiple points this season that we can play with them and beat them if we do what we’re capable of,” Perry said. “Losing to them in the snow doesn’t mean much in my mind.”
The Yale Invitational showed how the Ivy League has developed into a competitive league of its own, with four teams finishing in the top-the field of 19.
“I really couldn’t tell who is the best team out there. Everybody has had their moments, but yet, no one stands out. You don’t see amongst the league at least with years past,” Baughan said.“Our top-3 players are strong as anybody in the league. Our four and five provide us with support. We have to be consistent. That’s how you win championships.”