Bucknell University Athletics
Bison Host Bucknell Invitational Men's Golf Tournament Friday and Saturday
9/17/2009 8:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
Sept. 17, 2009
LEWISBURG, Pa. -- The Bucknell men's golf team hosts its annual fall tournament on Friday and Saturday at the Bucknell Golf Club. A dozen visiting teams will join the Bison for the 54-hole event, which consists of 36 holes on Friday beginning at 8:30 a.m. and 18 holes on Saturday starting at 9 a.m. Bucknell has fared well in this event in recent years, winning it in 2003, 2004, 2007 and 2008 while finishing second in 2005 and 2006.
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, Hofstra, Duquesne, Messhiah, 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.
Bucknell is coming off a bittersweet opening weekend at the Colgate Invitatonal. Senior Brian Bartow finished at even par for the tournament and won his first career individual title, but as a team the Bison left frustrated after finishing second to host Colgate by just one stroke.
This week, three seniors -- Bartow, Andrew Cohen and Jeff Pike -- will join junior Andrew Wallisch and sophomore Will Bachman on the Bucknell "Orange" team. Cohen tied for third place at Colgate after shooting 75-73. Pike opened with a 74, then slipped to an 80 in tougher Sunday conditions and finished tied for 16th.
The Bucknell "Blue" team will have a heavy freshman influence. Rookies Dan Bernard, Jon Hartman and J.J. Szmadzinski will be joined by juniors Ben Mattingly and Parker Phillips. Bernard made his collegiate debut as a last-minute replacement for an injured player at Colgate, and without a practice round posted a solid 78-79. Mattingly shot 78-81 last week, while Hartman and Szmadzinski will make their debuts this week.
At last year's rain-shortened Bucknell Invitational, Pike shot a career-best, 4-under-par 136 (67-69) to win the individual title and lead the Bison to the team crown. He beat C.G. Mercatoris of Robert Morris by two strokes. Bucknell shot 286 in both rounds. Pike had plenty of support. Bartow also carded a 69 in the second round and his 3-over 143 put him in a tie for third. Cohen shot 73-74 and finished T-10th.
Bucknell also had the medalist in 2007, as Stuart Lindgren won the event. That year, the Bison opened with a 1-under 279, the first under-par team score in program history.
Complete results will be posted at BucknellBison.com after the conclusion of play each day.
