Bucknell's Tanabe takes individual title in Abarta Coca-Cola Collegiate Invitational at the Steel Club

   The unpredictable early spring weather in our part of the world always makes it a little dicey to schedule a college golf tournament, but it didn’t seem to bother Bucknell sophomore Chris Tanabe, the 2016 PIAA Class AA champion at Quaker Valley.

   Tanabe fired a 3-under-par 69 Sunday when rain and falling temperatures gave way to wind and temperatures continuing to fall and matched par with a 72 in Monday’s cold and wind to capture the individual title in the Abarta Coco-Cola Collegiate Invitational, hosted by Lafayette at the Steel Club in Hellertown, Lehigh County.

   Tanabe’s 3-under 141 total over the 6,655-yard, par-72 Steel Club layout was one shot better than Iona’s hard-charging Kritsarin Oukosavanna, a sophomore from Boca Raton, Fla. who had the best round of the two-day tournament in Monday’s final round, a 4-under 68 that left him at 2-under 142. Oukosavanna had opened with a 2-over 74 in Sunday’s opening round.

   The team title went to Robert Morris, which was the only team to better par with its 1-under 287 Monday, which, combined with an opening round of 10-over 298, left the Colonials with a 9-over 585 total. They had finished third a year ago, five shots behind the winner, Rhode Island.

   Host Lafayette, led by freshman Ryan Tall, the Conestoga product who was the winner of the Golf Association of Philadelphia’s Junior Boys’ Championship last summer at Blue Bell Country Club, was the runnerup, four shots behind Robert Morris at 13-over 589. The Leopards added a 7-over 295 to their opening round of 6-over 294.

   Tanabe’s effort led Bucknell to a third-place finish, the Bison ending up just a shot behind Lafayette at 14-over 590. Bucknell matched Lafayette’s opening-round 294 before adding an 8-over 296 in Monday’s final round.

   Oukosavanna’s runnerup finish individually led Iona to fourth in the team standings as the Gaels shaved 10 shots off their opening-round 301 with a solid 3-over 291 Monday that left them at 16-over 592, two shots behind Bucknell.

   Navy improved 13 shots from its opening-round 303 with a 2-over 290 Monday that left the Midshipmen in fifth place at 17-over 293, a shot behind Iona.

   Villanova head coach Jim Wilkes again put three of his freshmen in the lineup as the Wildcats finished 12^th in the 20-team field (including a White squad to go along with host Lafayette’s Maroon squad) with a 609 total. Villanova added a 307 to is opening-round 302.

   Robert Morris was led by two of the three players who finished in a tie for third at 1-under 143, Max Palmer, a junior from Novi, Mich., and classmate Kyle Grube, who starred scholastically at Indiana High in western Pennsylvania.

   Palmer fired the second-best round of the day in Monday’s second round, a 3-under 69, after opening with a 74. Grube opened with a 1-under 71 and matched par in Monday’s second round with a 72.

   Backing up the top two for the Colonials was Bryce Gorrell, a senior from Tiffin, Ohio who posted a solid 1-under 71 Monday after opening with a 76 to finish among the group tied for 12^th at 3-over 147.

   Nick Mihalo, a sophomore from Canada, added a 78 to his opening-round 77 to join the group tied for 59^th at 155. Freshman Chase Miller, the 2017 PIAA Class AA champion as a senior at Tulpehocken, shaved six shots off his opening-round 81 with a key counter, a 3-over 75, in Monday’s final round that left him in the group tied for 64^th at 156.

   Joining the Robert Morris duo of Palmer and Grube in the tie for third at 1-under 143 was Rider sophomore Griffin Smith, a Council Rock South product who added a 2-under 70 to his opening-round 73.

   Lafayette’s Tall, the Central League champion as a junior at Conestoga, carded a 1-under 71 in Monday’s second round after opening with a 73 to end up among the group tied for sixth at even-par 144.

   Tall was joined at that figure by Fordham senior Josh Mandarang, a former Downingtown East standout, and Colgate’s Ryan Skae, a junior from Old Tappan, N.J. Mandarang added a 2-under 70 to his opening-round 74 while Skae opened with a 70 before falling back with a 2-over 74 Monday.

   Rounding out the top 10 was the trio of St. Peter’s Mike Winter, a senior from Hamilton Square, N.J., Navy’s Charlie Musto, a sophomore from Sterling, Va., and Bryant’s Matthew Stafford, a junior from Suffield, Conn., all of whom finished tied for ninth at 2-over 146.

   Winter added a 74 to his opening round of even-par 72, Musto rallied with a 1-under 71 after opening with a 75 and Stafford opened with a 2-under 70 before backing off with a 76.

   Three other GAP junior standouts of recent vintage all landed in the group tied for 27^th at 6-over 150.

   Lafayette sophomore Cole Berger, a former Westtown School standout, contributed an even-par 72 to the Leopards’ strong start before falling back with a 78.

   Bucknell got a boost from junior Peter Bradbeer, a Friends Central product who became a GAP major winner with his 2017 victory in the Patterson Cup at Wilmington Country Club’s South Course. Bradbeer, a Merion Golf Club member, carded a pair of 3-over 75s.

   Leading the way for Monmouth was sophomore Ron Robinson, winner of the 2016 Jock MacKenzie Memorial at Sandy Run Country Club and one of the top players in District One at North Penn. Robinson added a 74 to his opening-round 76 to join Berger and Bradbeer at 150. Monmouth finished 17^th at 625 after adding a 314 to its opening-round 311.

   Leading the way for Villanova was Mark Benevento, a redshirt junior from Ocean City, N.J. who finished among the group tied for 18^th at 4-over 148. Benevento’s opening round of even-par 72 was the best score of the tournament for the Wildcats. He added a 4-over 76 in Monday’s second round.

   Freshman Danny Dougherty, a Tower Hill product, closed with a solid 1-over 73 after opening with a 76 to end up in the group tied for 23^rd place at 5-over 149. Fellow freshman Matt Davis, one of the top players in the Inter-Ac League at Malvern Prep, finished in the group tied for 59^th at 155 after adding a 79 to his opening-round 76.

   Reb Banas, a sophomore from Winnetka, Ill., finished alone in 68^th place at 157 after adding a 79 to his opening-round 78. A third freshman, Jack O’Hara of Loudonville, N.Y. finished among the group tied for  89^th place at 163 after shaving five strokes off an opening-round 84 with a 79 in Monday’s final round.