Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Men's Golf Favored in Patriot League, Travels to Lafayette this Weekend
4/3/2009 8:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
April 3, 2009
LEWISBURG, Pa. -- The Bucknell men's golf team is back in action this weekend as it looks to defend its 2008 championship at the Lafayette Invitational. The tournament runs Saturday and Sunday at Center Valley Colf Club.
Earlier this week, Bucknell was chosen as the narrow favorite to win the Patriot League Championship later this month. The Bison captured 64 points and four first-place votes to take the top spot in the poll of league coaches and sports information directors. Navy was right behind with 62 points and led all schools with eight first-place votes. Army was in third with 48 points and a first-place vote, followed closely by Lehigh with 47 points. Colgate (33), Holy Cross (21) and Lafayette (19) rounded out the rankings, with the Raiders taking the remaining first-place vote.
In eighth place and 14 shots behind at the start of the second round of last year's Lafayette Invitational, Bucknell shot a 3-over-par 291 and rallied to win at Center Valley Golf Club. Ben Mattingly shot a 1-under 71 to lead the comeback, and Stuart Lindgren and Andrew Cohen both shot 73. Lindgren's 73 followed Saturday's even-par round, and he finished in a tie for third place individually at 145. Bucknell's turnaround was epitomized by Mattingly and Cohen, both of whom shot in the 80s in the first round, when the Bison posted a 303 and seemingly fell out of contention. The duo chopped a combined 20 strokes off their opening-round scores.
Cohen and Mattingly are back in the field again this weekend, joined by teammates Brian Poe, Brian Bartow and Will Bachman.
Bucknell is coming off a third place finish at Monmouth's Hawk Invitational. Led by Cohen's 2-under 70, the Bison shot a spring-best 292 in the final round on Sunday.
