A strong runnerup showing by Delaware, led by a tie for
fourth for occasional Stonewall looper R.J. Wren, made it worthwhile to go back
a week for a post on the Wildcat Fall Invitational.
Villanova has traditionally hosted a Wildcat Invitational in
the spring at White Manor Country Club in Willistown Township, an event that
has been played in everything from 40 degrees with snow flurries flying to
40-mph winds and even some nice weather.
Villanova decided to add a fall event to the schedule this
year and it will also come back with its usual spring invitational as well.
Other than a golf course that I’m certain was pretty soggy last weekend, the
weather was better than the spring version of the event normally suffers
through.
Wren, a junior, had a solid scholastic career at Twin Valley
and has had some injury setbacks. But the guy can play and his final round of
even-par 71 over the 6,670-yard, par-71 White Manor layout gave him a 54-hole
total of 3-over 216, a shot behind a trio of co-medalists.
The solid showing from Wren was a big boost to the Blue
Hens, who opened with a 5-over 289 Sept. 28, added a 1-over 285 Sept. 29 and
finished up with an 8-over 292 Sept. 30 for a 20-over 872 total that left them
eight shots behind team champion Appalachian State in second place.
Appalachian State had two of the three co-medalists as Tripp
Summerlin, a junior from Summerfield, N.C. and Chance Watson, a senior from Newland,
N.C., shared the individual title with Georgetown’s Patrick DiPasquale, a
junior from Rochester, N.Y., at 2-over 215.
Appalachian State had back-to-back 1-over 285s in the first
two rounds to take control of the team race before finishing up with a 10-over
294 for a 12-over 864 total.
Reigning Big East champion Georgetown finished a shot behind
Delaware in third at 21-over 873, the Hoyas finishing up with an 11-over 295.
Virginia Commonwealth struggled a little in the opening round with a 299, but
bounced back with a 3-over 287 and a 5-over 289 to take fourth with a 23-over
875 total.
St. John’s finished up with its best round of the weekend, a
7-over 291, to finish fifth at 25-over 877. Seton Hall’s best round came in the
second round when the Pirates posted a 4-over 288 on their way to a 28-over 980
total that left them in sixth place.
Host Villanova finished seventh in the seven-team field, but
after opening with a 305, there were some encouraging rounds for the young
Wildcats as they posted a 2-over 286 in the second round before finishing up
with a 7-over 291 for a 30-over 291 total.
Summerlin and Watson were steady hands in capturing their
respective piece of the individual title at 2-over 215. Summerlin matched par
in the opening round with a 71 before adding a 1-under 70 and finishing up with
a 3-over 74. Watson sandwiched an even-par 71 with a pair of 1-over 72s.
Backing them up for the Mountaineers were Logan McNeely, a
sophomore from Conover, N.C., and Alex Burris, a senior from Greensboro, N.C.,
both of whom finished among the group tied for 15th at 7-over 220.
Both contributed a 1-over 73 to Appalachian State’s strong opening round and
Burris carded a 1-over 72 in the second round.
Rounding out the starting lineup for Appalachian State was
Candler Rice, a sophomore from Asheville, N.C. who finished among the group
tied for 20th at 221. After opening with a 76 the Mountaineers could
toss, Rice added rounds of 1-over 72 and 2-over 73 that were counters.
Georgetown’s DiPasquale was steady throughout in earning his
share of the top spot in the individual chase as he matched Watson, sandwiching
an even-par 71 with a pair of 1-over 72s.
Wren opened up with a 1-over 71 and added a 2-over 73 before
his strong final-round 71 in earning a share of fourth at 3-over 216. He was
joined at that figure by Villanova’s Connor Daly, a junior from Bronxville,
N.Y., and St. John’s Gerald Mackedon, a junior from Port Jefferson, N.Y.
Daly, who finished in a tie for third at White Manor in last
spring’s version of the Wildcat Invitational, contributed a 1-under 70 to
Villanova’s solid second-round showing and finished up with a 1-over 72. After
opening with an even-par 71, Mackedon added a 2-over 73 and a 1-over 72.
Delaware junior Jack Melville, who was one of the top
players in District One at Upper Dublin, headed a group of three players who
finished tied for seventh at 4-over 217. Melville, who qualified for the U.S.
Amateur at the Pebble Beach Golf Links during the summer, had the best
individual round of the weekend for the Blue Hens, a 2-under 69 in the second
round. He added respective 3-over 74s in the first and final rounds.
The best individual round of the week belonged to
Villanova’s Mark Benevento, a redshirt junior from Ocean City, N.J. who began
his college career at Delaware. Benevento fired a sparkling 5-under 66 in the
second round, a 10-shot improvement on an opening-round 76, before finishing up
with a 75 to join the trio that landed on 4-over 217.
Rounding out the group tied for seventh was Virginia
Commonwealth’s Sachin Kumar, who had a pair of 1-over 72s after opening with a
2-over 73.
Delaware got a couple of top-15 showings behind Wren and
Melville. Christian Chapman, a sophomore from Victor, N.Y., carded a 1-under 70
in the final round to finish among the group tied for 13th at 219
and Roberto Nieves, a freshman from Miami, Fla., had a couple of 1-over 72s
before struggling in the final round with a 77 to finish among the group tied
for 15th at 220.
Rounding out the Delaware lineup was Matt Pulgini, a
freshman from Middletown, Del. who finished 29th at 235 after a
final-round 79. Freshman Nick Vecellio, a Northwestern Lehigh standout,
competed as an individual and finished among the group tied for 31st
at 227. His best round was a 2-over 73 in the second round.
Villanova got a solid showing from freshman Matt Davis, who was
one of the Inter-Ac League’s top players the last four years at Malvern Prep.
Backing up Daly and Benevento, Davis finished with a 1-under 70 to climb into
the group tied for 20th at 221.
Reb Banas, a sophomore from Winnetka, Ill., finished 37th at
232 after a final-round 78 and Jack O’Hara, a freshman from Loudonville, N.Y.,
rounded out the Villanova lineup as he ended up in 40th at 236
following his best round of the weekend, a 4-over 75, in the final round.
Freshman Danny Dougherty, a Tower Hill product who, like
Delaware’s Melville, qualified for the U.S. Amateur this summer, competed as an
individual and struggled in the first two rounds before a closing 78 left him
in 42nd place at 246. Connor Downey, a junior from Franklin, Tenn.,
also competed as an individual and finished 43rd at 251 after
carding a final-round 86.
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