Men's Golf Back on Course Sunday at Lafayette's Spring Tourney

What: 2019 Abarta Coca-Cola Collegiate Invitational, hosted by Lafayette
When: Sunday-Monday, March 31-Apr. 1 (36 holes), 1:30 p.m. shotgun Sunday, 9 a.m. tee times Monday
Where: Par-71, 6,655-yard Steel Club, Hellertown, Pa.
The Field: 19 teams (Binghamton, Bryant, Bucknell, Canisius, Colgate, Fordham, Hofstra, Holy Cross, Iona, Lafayette, Lehigh, Monmouth, Navy, Niagara, Rider, Robert Morris, Saint Peter's, Siena and Villanova)

Live Stats: GolfStat.com

About the Bison

Bucknell returns to stroke-play tournament golf this week after hosting Colgate in a match-play event last Sunday. The Bison won the dual 3.5 to 1.5, buoyed by a singles victory from Carter Cook and fourball wins from the tandems of Ashton Radvansky/Jason Lohwater and Jubal Early/Chris Tanabe.
The Bison opened the spring with an 18-place showing at the Wexford Plantation Invitational in Hilton Head. J.P. Raftery shot 76-76-73 and was Bucknell's low man in that event.
Connor O'Brien (73.1), Raftery (73.2), Tanabe (73.4) and Peter Bradbeer (74.1) all posted sub-75 averages in the fall, with Bucknell averaging 294.1 as a team in 15 rounds. The low mark was a 7-under 281 in the final round at Quechee Club, which was a school for low round in relation to par. Raftery shot 68, and Tanabe and O'Brien both had 69 that day. O'Brien tied for the individual lead before falling on the first playoff hole, and the Bison captured the team title.
Raftery, a two-time Patriot League runner-up and three-time all-league performer, had three top-20 finishes in the fall, including fourth at the Bucknell Invitational (68-71).
Three freshman saw action in the fall, with Lohwater leading that group with a 75.2 average. Lohwater's low round was a 67 to open the Bucknell Invitational. Cook averaged 76.0.
This week's lineup features Raftery, Bradbeer, Tanabe, Lohwater and Cook, with Early playing as an individual.

Bucknell at the Abarta Coca-Cola Collegiate Invitational

Bucknell returns to Lafayette's spring event for the first time since 2016. There will be a heavy Patriot League flavor, with Bucknell, Colgate, Holy Cross, Lafayette, Lehigh and Navy all meeting up.
The Bison have made 12 previous appearances in Lafayette's spring tournament, including a win in 2008 at Center Valley GC. That year, Bucknell sat in eighth place, 14 shots off the lead, heading into the final round, then closed with a 291, which was seven shots better than any other team in the field and 17 better than first-round leader Drexel. Ben Mattingly was the catalyst in the final round with a 1-under 71.
Another highlight for Bucknell came in 2010, when Andrew Cohen shot a 6-under 66 en route to the individual title at Center Valley GC. That broke the school record for low round in relation to par (it was matched in the fall of 2010 when Will Bachman shot 6-under at the Colgate Invitational).
Hall-of-Famer Charlie Waddell also won the Lafayette Invitational in April 2007.
J.P. Raftery and Jubal Early are the only Bison in this week's lineup who played the last time Bucknell appeared at Steel Club (then known as Silver Creek CC). Then freshmen, Raftery shot 79-77, and Early shot 79-84 in challenging weather conditions. Classmate Connor O'Brien, who is currently out with an injury, shot 72-77 and finished T-4th.

Next Up

Next up for Bucknell is an appearance at Villanova's Wildcat Invitational at White Manor CC on Apr. 8-9.

Men's Golf Back on Course Sunday at Lafayette's Spring Tourney

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Peter Bradbeer

Carter Cook

Jubal Early

Jason Lohwater

Connor O'Brien

Ashton Radvansky

J.P. Raftery

Chris Tanabe

Men's Golf Back on Course Sunday at Lafayette's Spring Tourney

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Peter Bradbeer

Carter Cook

Jubal Early

Jason Lohwater

Connor O'Brien

Ashton Radvansky

J.P. Raftery

Chris Tanabe

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