Bucknell University Athletics
Bison Men's Golf Opens Fall Slate with Bucknell Invitational
9/11/2008 8:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
Sept. 11, 2008
LEWISBURG, Pa. -- The Bucknell men's golf team kicks off another season on Friday when it hosts its annual fall tournament, the Bucknell Invitational. Including two Bison quintets, the 54-hole event features a 12-team field. Play begins with 36 holes all day Friday, followed by 18 more Saturday morning.
Joining Bucknell in this year's field will be three other Patriot League teams in Colgate, Lafayette and Lehigh, as well as Fordham, Robert Morris, St. Peter's, Canisius, Susquehanna, Laval and Ottawa.
All three rounds will be held at the Bucknell Golf Club, a par-70, 6,253-yard layout located adjacent to the Bucknell campus.
Brian Poe, the team's lone senior, will join sophomore Andrew Wallisch and juniors Brian Bartow, Andrew Cohen and Jeff Pike on Bucknell's "Orange" team.
Freshmen Will Bachman and Patrick Morsches will make their collegiate debuts for the Bucknell "Blue," along with sophomores Parker Phillips and Ben Mattingly and junior Ryan Schneiter.
Last season, Bucknell's attempt for a third consecutive Patriot League championship came up just shy, as the Bison could not overcome a tough first round and settled for second place behind Navy. Still, the 2007-08 campaign was a strong one for the Orange & Blue. The Bison won two tournaments and finished second in four others. They also posted their first under-par team score in school history, a 1-under 279 in the opening round of the Bucknell Invitational. Bucknell will have to replace three experienced seniors in Keita Aoki, Rahul Desai and Stuart Lindgren, however.
Bucknell has fared well in this event in recent years, winning it in 2003, 2004 and 2007 while finishing second in 2005 and 2006. A year ago, Lindgren's first career individual title helped the Bison to the team trophy for the third time in five years. Bucknell defeated runner-up Temple by nine strokes, buoyed by a school-record 279 (1-under) in the first round. Four different Bison had at least one score in the 60s, including Mattingly, who fired a 2-under 68 in his first collegiate round. Bartow shot 69 in the second round.
Results of the Bucknell Invitational will be posted on BucknellBison.com at the end of each day of competition.
