Junior Weston Warden, starting his first round with a double par, hit his second shot in the hazard. But he refused to give up, remembering his high school coach’s words: “Just shut the door. After every hole, it’s like you have a new swing, a new hole ahead of you.”
Despite difficult conditions, he completed an impressive recovery, carding two birdies en route to a 78 finish. One of these came on the 18th hole, after a shot that Warden describes as his best of the event. With a drive down the middle, Warden caught the edge of the green and managed to finish the hole with a three.
“I would say that was one of the more fun ones, especially because I needed it during that time,” Warden said.
The Red improved by eighth strokes in the second round, from 311 to 303 for a total of 614 strokes (46-over par) to finish 13th out of 14 teams, outlasting Rider University who finished at 616 strokes. Senior Jackson Debusschere finished third on the team with two rounds of 79. Sophomore Tyler Debusschere (81-78) and sophomore Viktor Stollinger (79-80) also scored for the Red.
Princeton University took the win at its home course, finishing with 566 total strokes (2-under par). Rutgers University (579) and Seton Hall University (581) filled out the rest of the podium.
The Red powered through tough conditions on the first day, with 18 of the scheduled 36 holes being canceled due to cold weather and rain. Freshman TJ Betlow remained steady, making a birdie and 12 pars to help Cornell secure a 12th place spot on the first day after a first round of 75.
“Knowing your own game through those conditions is really important,” Betlow said. “Relying on what you know how to do best, and centering on that was important for me.”
On the 18th hole of the second round, Betlow hit an unsatisfactory drive and a shot into the right greenside bunker. In recovery, Betlow managed to get up and down from the sand for par. Describing this hole as his favorite of the event, Betlow explained, “Even though it wasn’t the prettiest hole, I ended my round on a solid note.”
He continued to perform on Sunday, improving to a 74 (3-over par) with three birdies. Meanwhile, Warden carded a 72 (1-over par) in the second round with four birdies, a six shot improvement from the first day.
“You're really able to rely on your teammates for support,” Betlow said. “The team camaraderie goes beyond the sport. We’re such a close-knit team.”
This weekend’s event generated momentum for the Red as it looks ahead to its next event, and the Ivy Championship in two weeks.
“I feel like we're very happy we're with where our games are at,” Betlow said.
Looking forward, the Red travels to Kingston, New York this weekend to compete at the Roar-EE Invitational hosted by Columbia University at Wiltwyck Golf Club.
Coverage of the matchup can be streamed on ESPN+.
Isabel DeLuna and Roscoe Heuer are Sun Contributors and can be reached at ied6@cornell.edu and rsh269@cornell.edu.
