Update from Head Men's Golf Coach Mike Binney -- May 2024
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Dear Bison Golf Nation!
It's that time of the year when we've finished our conference championships, and the guys are right in the middle of finals, so it's a big transition for the team. The bottom line is that we wait all year for the end of April, and it's here and gone before you know it!
In summing up our year, we had a strong fall season and a challenging spring, and we ended up in the middle of the pack at the Patriot League Championships at Saucon Valley (Grace Course). Our results were not what the team had hoped for, and we collectively know we had the talent to win this year, but we didn't get it done when we needed to. That said, the squad is motivated and already looking forward to next season, as we have a very young team and will not be losing any players to graduation. With the addition of two strong incoming recruits, we'll be that much more competitive and ready to go this fall.
This year saw some solid individual performances, especially during the spring season.
Sophomore Andres Barraza led the squad throughout the fall and spring seasons with an overall scoring average of 73.2, including a 72.4 spring average, eight rounds under par, and 12 rounds at or under par for the year. In addition, Andres posted a -10 54-hole total at the Loyola Intercollegiate, with scores of 71, 67 & 68, which is the lowest 54-total in school history!
First-year Alex Creamean was shoulder-to-shoulder with Andres this year and was selected as the Patriot League Rookie of the Year at the end of the season. Alex posted 11 rounds under par this season including a school record-breaking 64 (-8) in the second round of the Loyola Intercollegiate! Since it was a shotgun start, Alex's last hole was the very tricky par-3 (#16) at Palm Valley in Goodyear, AZ. I knew he was (-8) when he arrived at the tee box and the only thing we talked about was a good line off the tee and a safe distance to the middle of the green. When he hit his tee shot, I knew he had accomplished the first half of his job on the hole, and when he two-putted for 64, I told him he'd just broken the school record, to which he replied he had no idea! His mom and dad attended and saw him break the record, so it was a very cool experience for all, including me!
The team, including Lyman Brackett, James Key, James Robbins, and Michael Rudnick, all combined that day to tie the school record of (-7) 281. As a group, we know we can go much lower than that as a team and are committed to re-writing the record books of Bucknell Men's Golf in the future!
As is the case with every year, our One Herd One Day 24-hour giving challenge comes in the middle of our spring season and is always an important event for our program and our annual fundraising efforts. We generally raise 60-70% of our annual funds during this event, and this year was no different. The team knocked it out of the park again, and we thank you all for your loyal support.
I'd like to take a moment to thank three special Bucknellians for their support of our program this past year, especially their support of our Veterans Intercollegiate, which was held at Sebonack Golf Club in South Hampton, N.Y., in late October. The event was an amazing success thanks to the incredible support of Mr. Frank Brown '78, Mr. Ken Langone '57, P'83, and Mr. Mike Pascucci '58, P'81, '87, GP'21, '22. Because of their commitment, Frank, Ken, and Mike made our Veterans event one of the best events in program history. Played over three days at Mr. Pascucci's Sebonack Golf Club, it comprised a field of 11 Division I teams, including squads from the U.S. Naval Academy and the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, as well as a team from the Veterans Golf Association's (VGA) national team.
The concept of the event is to partner with the service academies and the VGA to expose college teams and players to current and former service members and to what it means to serve this country, which sometimes appears to be in short supply these days. The event was a huge success, and I received inquiries from coaches nationwide about the 2024-2025 Veterans event. More details to follow on that score.
I wish everyone the best during the spring and summer and look forward to touching base with you again soon.
Go Bison!
Coach
Â
Mike Binney
Head Men's Golf Coach
Bucknell University
mwb013@bucknell.edu
Â
Past Newsletters:
Bison Club support is the driving force behind Bucknell Athletics. Your donations directly impact the holistic development of student-athletes from 27 Division I varsity programs who are building a foundation at Bucknell to become leaders and difference-makers around the globe. Make your gift online, or call 570-577-1771 to support your favorite Bison team today.
It's that time of the year when we've finished our conference championships, and the guys are right in the middle of finals, so it's a big transition for the team. The bottom line is that we wait all year for the end of April, and it's here and gone before you know it!
In summing up our year, we had a strong fall season and a challenging spring, and we ended up in the middle of the pack at the Patriot League Championships at Saucon Valley (Grace Course). Our results were not what the team had hoped for, and we collectively know we had the talent to win this year, but we didn't get it done when we needed to. That said, the squad is motivated and already looking forward to next season, as we have a very young team and will not be losing any players to graduation. With the addition of two strong incoming recruits, we'll be that much more competitive and ready to go this fall.
This year saw some solid individual performances, especially during the spring season.
Sophomore Andres Barraza led the squad throughout the fall and spring seasons with an overall scoring average of 73.2, including a 72.4 spring average, eight rounds under par, and 12 rounds at or under par for the year. In addition, Andres posted a -10 54-hole total at the Loyola Intercollegiate, with scores of 71, 67 & 68, which is the lowest 54-total in school history!
First-year Alex Creamean was shoulder-to-shoulder with Andres this year and was selected as the Patriot League Rookie of the Year at the end of the season. Alex posted 11 rounds under par this season including a school record-breaking 64 (-8) in the second round of the Loyola Intercollegiate! Since it was a shotgun start, Alex's last hole was the very tricky par-3 (#16) at Palm Valley in Goodyear, AZ. I knew he was (-8) when he arrived at the tee box and the only thing we talked about was a good line off the tee and a safe distance to the middle of the green. When he hit his tee shot, I knew he had accomplished the first half of his job on the hole, and when he two-putted for 64, I told him he'd just broken the school record, to which he replied he had no idea! His mom and dad attended and saw him break the record, so it was a very cool experience for all, including me!
The team, including Lyman Brackett, James Key, James Robbins, and Michael Rudnick, all combined that day to tie the school record of (-7) 281. As a group, we know we can go much lower than that as a team and are committed to re-writing the record books of Bucknell Men's Golf in the future!
As is the case with every year, our One Herd One Day 24-hour giving challenge comes in the middle of our spring season and is always an important event for our program and our annual fundraising efforts. We generally raise 60-70% of our annual funds during this event, and this year was no different. The team knocked it out of the park again, and we thank you all for your loyal support.
I'd like to take a moment to thank three special Bucknellians for their support of our program this past year, especially their support of our Veterans Intercollegiate, which was held at Sebonack Golf Club in South Hampton, N.Y., in late October. The event was an amazing success thanks to the incredible support of Mr. Frank Brown '78, Mr. Ken Langone '57, P'83, and Mr. Mike Pascucci '58, P'81, '87, GP'21, '22. Because of their commitment, Frank, Ken, and Mike made our Veterans event one of the best events in program history. Played over three days at Mr. Pascucci's Sebonack Golf Club, it comprised a field of 11 Division I teams, including squads from the U.S. Naval Academy and the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, as well as a team from the Veterans Golf Association's (VGA) national team.
The concept of the event is to partner with the service academies and the VGA to expose college teams and players to current and former service members and to what it means to serve this country, which sometimes appears to be in short supply these days. The event was a huge success, and I received inquiries from coaches nationwide about the 2024-2025 Veterans event. More details to follow on that score.
I wish everyone the best during the spring and summer and look forward to touching base with you again soon.
Go Bison!
Coach
Â
Mike Binney
Head Men's Golf Coach
Bucknell University
mwb013@bucknell.edu
Â
Past Newsletters:
- February 2023
- March 2023
- April 2023
- May 2023
- September 2023
- October 2023
- November 2023
- February 2024
- April 2024
Bison Club support is the driving force behind Bucknell Athletics. Your donations directly impact the holistic development of student-athletes from 27 Division I varsity programs who are building a foundation at Bucknell to become leaders and difference-makers around the globe. Make your gift online, or call 570-577-1771 to support your favorite Bison team today.