Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Men's Golf Back in Action This Weekend at Bethpage
10/11/2007 8:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
Oct. 11, 2007
LEWISBURG, Pa. -- The Bucknell men's golf team has displayed both talent and depth thus far in the fall season, competing successfully with a number of different starting lineups. The Bison have placed fourth or better in four of the first five competitions, including a victory at the Bucknell Invitational on Sept. 14-15.
Coming off a fourth-place finish at the Scotty Duncan Memorial, hosted by Delaware, last week, Bucknell is off to Bethpage State Park on Long Island for the Hofstra Invitational on Friday and Saturday.
Bison Men's Golf Notebook
More on the Hofstra Invitational -
- Bucknell is one of 14 teams expected to play, joining host Hofstra and Delaware, Siena, Laval, Fordham, Wagner, Manhattan, St. Peter's, Duquesne, Quinnipiac, Fairleigh Dickinson, Saint Francis and Nassau CC.
- There are five golf courses at Bethpage State Park, including the famed Black Course, which was the site of the 2002 U.S. Open and will host it again in 2009. The Hofstra Invitational will be played on the par-70, 7,200-yard Red Course, which was designed in 1935 by A.W. Tillinghast. The course's first hole, an uphill, 471-yard par-4, is considered one of the toughest opening holes in golf.
- For the first time since the Bucknell Invitational, coach Jim Cotner will have his five top scorers together in the lineup. Seniors Stuart Lindgren (Richfield, Minn./Richfield) and Rahul Desai (Avon, Conn./Kingswood-Oxford), junior Brian Poe (Chagrin Falls, Ohio/Gilmour Academy) and sophomores Brian Bartow (Rye, N.Y./Rye Neck) and Andrew Cohen (Mamaroneck, N.Y./Mamaroneck) will make the trip. That quintet combined for a school-record 279 in round two of the Bucknell Invitational last month, but this is their first time out together on the road.
- Due to class considerations, the Bison will not have the benefit of a practice round prior to Friday's opening 18.
- Bucknell last played in this event in 2004 (the Bison were scheduled to play here in 2005 but the tournament was rained out). Bucknell placed second that year to Saint Francis (Pa.) and had four individuals in the top 16. In 2003, Bucknell finished seventh at the Hofstra Invitational.
About the Bison in 2007 -
- Bucknell is coming off a third-place finish at the Soctty Duncan Memorial at White Clay Creek. The Bison posted rounds of 298 and 313. Iona and Cornell shared the team title, while Bucknell outran the rest of the 16-team field, including Patriot League rivals Navy and Lafayette.
- Cohen was Bucknell's best player of the weekend, shooting a 1-over 145 to place T-2nd. Cohen finished with a 1-under 71, which was tied for the low round of the day, and the 2007 Patriot League Co-Rookie of the Year produced his best career finish.
- Lindgren saw his streak of six straight rounds of 73 or better come to an end with an uncharacteristic 82 on Sunday. His season average of 73.6 is still second-best on the team to Desai (72.7), who took last week off.
- Cohen (74.4), Bartow (75.0) and Poe (75.0) round out Bucknell's top five scorers among those who have played in at least three events.
- Freshman Ben Mattingly (Fishers, Ind./Park Tudor) had another solid weekend in Delaware. He shot 74-79 to place T-17th. He has a solid 74.2 scoring average in two events.
- Bucknell's team scoring average is 298.3 through in 12 rounds.
Looking Ahead -
- Bucknell wraps up its 2007 fall season next weekend at the Lehigh Invitational at Saucon Valley C.C. This will be an imporant tournament for the Bison, as next April they will look to claim their third straight Patriot League title back at Saucon Valley.
