Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Bucknell Invitational
Bison Men's Golf in Second after Day One of Bucknell Fall Invite
9/17/2010 8:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
Sept. 17, 2010
LEWISBURG, Pa. - The Bucknell men's golf team is looking to win its annual home invitational for the fourth year in a row, and in order to do so the Bison will have to come from behind.. Playing in cool fall conditions on Friday, Bucknell led the tightly bunched 13-team field after posting a 293 opening round, but Robert Morris came back in the afternoon with a 285 to take a four-shot lead over the second-place Bison heading into Saturday's final round.
Will Bachman (Wellesley, Mass./Wellesley) led the Bucknell "Orange" team with rounds of 72-74 for a 6-over-par total of 146. That puts him in a tie for eighth place, six shots behind individual leader C.G. Mercatoris of Robert Morris, who shot 71-69 on Friday.
The Colonials stand at 584 through 36 holes, followed by Bucknell (588), Colgate (593), Fordham (594), Laval (595), Lafayette (598), Lehigh (600), St. Peter's (604), Fairleigh Dickinson (606), Loyola (613), the Bucknell "Blue" team (613), Ottawa (615) and Messiah (623).
On the Bucknell "Orange" squad, all five players were separated by only four shots. In addition to Bachman's 146, J.J. Szmadzinski (Northville, Mich./Detroit Central Catholic) (72-75) and Dan Bernard (Malvern, Pa./Malvern Prep) (75-72) both stand at 147, Andrew Wallisch (Pittsburgh, Pa./Fox Chapel) (75-74) posted a 149 and Benn Mattingly (Fishers, Ind./Park Tudor) (74-76) shot 150.
The low Bison player of the day came from the "Blue" team, as sophomore Jon Hartman (Essex Fells, N.J./Seton Hall Prep) posted a 2-under 68 in the final round and is tied for sixth place at 145 total. The 68 was the best round of the day in the entire field.
Three freshmen all made their collegiate debuts for the "Blue" squad. Leading the way was Schuyler Stitzer (Greenwich, Conn./Brunswick School) with rounds of 75-73. He is tied for 15th place. Matt Haller (Winnetka, Ill./New Trier) shot 79-75 and Billy Wright (Winnetka, Ill./New Trier) posted 82-84.
Bucknell has won this event in five of the last seven years while finishing second in the other two. The Bison have also claimed the individual winner in each of the last three years.
