Men's Golf Makes Spring Debut at Carpetbagger Classic

Saturday, March 20

Urbana, Md. (Worthington Manor CC)

All Day

Bucknell University

Carpetbagger Classic

Photo by: Patrick Shanahan/Cornell Athletics

Men's Golf Makes Spring Debut at Carpetbagger Classic

3/19/2021 2:42:00 PM | Men's Golf

Season Preview Show

Setting The Scene
What: 2021 Carpetbagger Classic
When: Saturday-Sunday, March 20-21 (9:30 a.m. shotgun start; 18 holes each day)
Where: Par-72, 7,034-yard Worthington Manor CC, Urbana, Md.

Spectator Policy

Spectators are permitted, but must remain distanced from all student-athletes, coaches and team personnel at all times.

About the Bison

Bucknell heads to Worthington Manor CC this weekend for its first intercollegiate competition in 13 months. Ten teams are expected to participate, with most bringing extra players to compete as individuals.
When we last saw the Bison in action, they shot 292-283-283 in a sixth-place finish at the Loyola Invitational at Palm Valley GC in Arizona Feb. 22-24, 2020. The 6-under-par 858 was the second-lowest 54-hole total in school history.
After that event, Bucknell's next scheduled tournament was the Carpetbagger, but by then the sports world had been halted by the COVID-19 outbreak.
Bucknell graduated only one player from that team -- Peter Bradbeer, who is now playing as a graduate student at Temple.
Headlining a talented group of returnees is Chris Tanabe, the lone senior in this year's group. Tanabe has his sights set on a Patriot League championship in 2021 after finishing T-9th as a sophomore. Tanabe posted a stellar 72.0 scoring average as a junior, and his 74.4 career average is second in team history, trailing only former teammate J.P. Raftery (74.0). Tanabe won two collegiate events in the 2019 calendar year, at Lafayette in March and at Dartmouth in September, and in between he captured the Pennsylvania Amateur Championship at Aronimink Golf Club. Once again Tanabe played quite a bit of high-level golf last summer. He made the cut and finished T-25th at the Pennsylvania Open at Oakmont, and although he didn't repeat at the PA Am, he put together two solid rounds, including a 3-under 69 in round two.
Also enjoying a productive offseason was sophomore Blake Wisdom, who was one of four impact freshman on last year's squad. Wisdom reached the round of 16 at the Wisconsin Match Play Championship and later played his way into the Monday qualifier for the PGA Tour's 3M Open in Minnesota. He shot 1-under 70 in the pre-qualifier to advance right on the number, and he shot 70 again in the Monday qualifier to finish T-27th in a 60-player field of mainly professionals. Last season, Wisdom ranked second on the team with a 73.3 scoring average, which included a 6-under 66 in his first spring event at the UNCG Martin Downs Collegiate. The 6-under tied a school record for low 18 in relation to par. Only three others have done it, one of whom is Tanabe at the 2019 Dartmouth Invitational.
In that tournament in Arizona, Jackson Bussell also posted two sub-par rounds, shooting 71-71-75. He averaged 74.8 as a freshman with a low round of 70.
Junior Jason Lohwater has been a mainstay in the Bison lineup throughout his career. He shot 74-72-73 in Arizona last February and averaged 73.5 in five fall events.
The Bison did have an intrasquad competition in the fall, with points accrued based on performances in several different formats throughout the season. Tanabe shot 68-65 in his first two rounds and cruised to the title. Bussell, who fired a 66 in his second round of the season, was second in the points race.
Head coach Mike Binney will start Tanabe, Lohwater, Bussell, Wisdom and Jack Gardner this weekend, with Dylan Ford, Josh Holtschlag and freshman Max Orwicz playing as individuals.