Bucknell University Athletics
Bison Win Bucknell Invitational for Fifth Time in Seven Years
9/19/2009 8:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
Sept. 19, 2009
LEWISBURG, Pa. - They could not match the record-setting scores of a day earlier, but the Bison still managed a seven-stroke victory Saturday at the Bucknell Invitational men's golf tournament at the Bucknell Golf Club. Senior Andrew Cohen (Mamaroneck, N.Y./Mamaroneck) finished with a 2-over-par 72, and at even-par for the 54-hole tournament he held off teammate Ben Mattingly (Fishers, Ind./Park Tudor) by one shot for the individual title.
Bucknell has now won its own fall tournament five times in the last seven years, and Cohen becomes the third straight Bison to take medalist honors, following Jeff Pike last season and Stuart Lindgren in 2007.
The Bison took a commanding lead in the tournament with a school-record 276 (-4) in the second round. They entered the day with a nine-stroke cushion over Canisius, and even though the Golden Griffins outscored them 296-298 on Saturday, Bucknell's 865 composite bettered Cansius' 872. Robert Morris was third at 879.
Cohen's 72 followed rounds of 70 and 68, and he captured his third career individual title. Last spring he won the Caves Valley Intercollegiate and the Patriot League Championship in back-to-back weeks. He is also the second Bucknell player to win an event in two weeks this season, as Brian Bartow (Rye, N.Y./Rye Neck) took the Colgate Invitational last week.
Mattingly was the top player on Bucknell's second team. He led the "Blue" squad with rounds of 72-68-71 and finished just one stroke behind Cohen. The "Blue" team shot 295 on Saturday and 886 for the tournament, good for fourth place in the 14-team field.
Andrew Wallisch (Pittsburgh, Pa./Fox Chapel), who smashed his career best with a second-round 66, finished with a 76 and tied for third place at 215 (73-66-76), five shots behind Cohen. Also for the Bucknell "Orange" team, Bartow closed with a 76 after going 75-68 on Friday and tied for 13th place. Jeff Pike (Rye, N.Y./Rye) hot 73-74-76 and tied for 20th, and Will Bachman (Wellesley, Mass./Wellesley) had his best score of the weekend, a 4-over 74 after shooting 78-78 on Friday.
Bucknell's three freshmen all scored for the "Blue" team in support of Mattingly. J.J. Szmadzinski (Northville, Mich./Detroit Catholic Central) was the top finisher, placing T-23rd after rounds of 75-76-73. Jon Hartman (Essex Fells, N.J./Seton Hall Prep) shot 79-72-74, and Dan Bernard (Malvern, Pa./Malvern Prep) shot 78-71-77.
Bucknell has fared well in this event in recent years, winning it in 2003, 2004, 2007, 2008 and 2009 while finishing second in 2005 and 2006. The key to this year's victory was the second round, when the "Orange" team parlayed three rounds in the 60s into a 4-under 276. That broke the two-year-old team record by three shots.
The Bison will be back in action next weekend at the Cornell Invitational.
