Zinsner, Stankey lead Yale to top of the leaderboard after two rounds of Princeton Invitational

   Yale, so impressive in capturing the Ivy League title at Stonewall a year ago, looks just as tough with the 2019 Ivy League Championship looming later this month.

   The Bulldogs, behind two of three individual co-leaders, Teddy Zinsner, a sophomore from Alexandria, Va., and Paul Stankey, a sophomore from Wayzata, Minn., grabbed a seven-shot lead over Penn as the Princeton Invitational opened with a double-round Saturday at Springdale Golf Club in Princeton, N.J.

   With Zinsner firing an opening round of 6-under-par 65 over the 6,415-yard, par-71 Springdale layout, Yale carded a solid 5-under 279. With Stankey posting the low round of the day, a sizzling 7-under 64, in Saturday afternoon’s second round, the Bulldogs carded a spectacular 14-under 270 for a 19-under 549 total.

   It was a strong showing for Penn as well as the Quakers opened with a 3-under 281 and added a solid 9-under 275 Saturday afternoon to land in second place at 12-under 556.

   Loyola of Maryland, getting another strong showing from sophomore Evan Brown, who starred scholastically at Kennett, was alone in third at 2-under 566, the Greyhounds posting a pair of 1-under 283s.

   Temple fired a solid 4-under 280 in Saturday afternoon’s second round after opening with a 4-over 288 as the Owls landed in a tie for fourth with Columbia and reigning Big East champion Georgetown at even-par 568. The Lions added a 1-over 285 to their opening round of 1-over 283 while the Hoyas matched them, opening with a 1-under 283 before carding a 1-over 285 Saturday afternoon.

   Saint Joseph’s was a third City 6 team in the 13-team field and the Hawks are tied for 12^th with Rider at 14-over 582 after matching par Saturday afternoon with a 284 after opening with a 298.

   Zinsner added a 2-under 69 to his opening-round 65 to get a share of the top spot in the individual standings at 8-under 134. He was joined there by his teammate Stankey, who opened with a 1-under 70 before going off in the afternoon with his 64.

   James Nicholas, a senior from Scarsdale, N.Y., backed up the top two for Yale as he landed among a group of four players tied for eighth at 3-under 139. Nicholas matched par in the morning with a 71 before contributing a 3-under 68 to the Bulldogs’ scintillating team performance in the afternoon.

   Eoin Leonard, a senior from England, finished among the group tied for 27^th at 1-over 143. He also got it going in the afternoon with Yale’s fourth sub-70 round, a 2-under 69, after opening with a 3-over 74. Nicholas and Leonard were the Ivy League co-champions in tough conditions on a tough Stonewall Old Course layout last spring.

   Rounding out the Yale lineup was Sean Yi, a sophomore from Auburn, Wash. who finished among the group tied for 60^th at 7-over 149. Yi’s opening-round 73 was a counter for the Bulldogs and he added a 5-over 76 in the afternoon.

   Princeton’s Jake Mayer, a sophomore from Scotch Plains, N.J., was competing as an individual, but he grabbed a share of the lead in the individual chase. He added a sizzling 6-under 65 Saturday afternoon to his opening-round 69 to join the two Yalies, Zinsner and Stankey, at 8-under 134.

   Loyola of Maryland’s Brown, who has been playing some really good golf this spring, was tied for fourth with Penn’s Mitchell Cornell, a sophomore from Incline Village, Nev., at 7-under 135, a shot behind the three co-leaders.

   Brown added a 3-under 68 to an opening round of 4-under 67. Cornell, who was Penn’s leading man in last year’s Ivy Championship at Stonewall, added a 4-under 67 to his opening round of 3-under 68.

   Brown’s Kenneth Li, a junior from Westmont, Ill., and Georgetown’s Eduardo Blochtein, a junior from Delray Beach, Fla., shared sixth place, each ending up at 4-under 138, three shots behind Brown and Cornell. Li and Blochtein had identical splits, each opening with a 3-under 68 before adding a 1-under 70 Saturday afternoon.

   Joining Yale’s Nicholas in the quartet tied for eighth at 3-under 139 were Penn’s Josh Goldenberg, a senior from Scarsdale, N.Y., Temple senior Gary McCabe, who starred scholastically at La Salle, and Seton Hall’s Gregor Tait, a sophomore from England.

   Goldenberg added a 2-under 69 to his opening round of 1-under 70, McCabe matched par in the morning with a 71 before adding a 3-under 68 Saturday afternoon and Tait matched par in the afternoon with a 71 after opening with a 3-under 68.

   Backing up Cornell and Goldenberg for Penn was Carter Thompson, a senior from Tallahassee, Fla. who matched par in the afternoon with a 71 after opening with a 1-under 70 to end up in the group tied for 16^th at 1-under 141.

   Zareh Kaloustian, a senior from Sherman Oaks, Calif., contributed a 2-under 69 to Penn’s strong team showing the afternoon after opening with a 73 to land among the group tied for 21^st at even-par 142. Rounding out the Penn lineup was Brandon Wang, a sophomore from Bradenton, Fla. who finished among the group tied for 33^rd at 2-over 144. Wang’s 1-under 70 in the afternoon was a counter for the Quakers after he had opened with a 3-over 74.

   Backing up McCabe for Temple was fellow senior Trey Wren of Suffolk, Va., who opened with a solid 3-under 68 and added a 1-over 72 to finish among the group tied for 12^th at 2-under 140. Another Owl veteran, John Barone, a redshirt senior from Dunmore, matched McCabe’s 3-under 68 in the afternoon after opening with a 75 to join the group tied for 27^th at 1-over 143.

   Freshman Connor McGrath, an Academy of the New Church product, added a 1-over 72 to his opening-round 74 and is among the group tied for 40^th at 4-over 146. Rounding out the Temple lineup was redshirt junior Erik Reisner, a two-time Central League champion at Harriton who landed in the group tied for 66^th at 9-over 151. Reiser shaved three shots off his opening-round 77 with a 3-over 74 in the afternoon.

   Senior Sam Soeth, a former Marple Newtown standout, competed as an individual and turned in a solid afternoon round of 3-under 68 after opening with a 77 to join the group tied for 37^th at 3-over 145.

   Saint Joseph’s was led by Michael O’Brien, a junior from West Chester, Ohio who carded a 1-under 70 in the afternoon after opening with a 73 as he ended up in the group tied for 27^th at 1-over 143.

   Also for the Hawks, junior Richard Riva, a Lancaster Catholic product, was among the group tied for 33^rd at 2-over 144 as he matched par in the afternoon with a 71 after opening with a 2-over 73. Sophomore Wills Montgomery, a former Downingtown East standout, carded a solid 1-over 72 in the afternoon after opening with a 75 to end up in the group tied for 52^nd at 5-over 147.

   Senior Ross Pilliod, who starred scholastically at Berks Catholic, bounced back from an opening-round 77 by matching par in the afternoon with a 71 to finish among the group tied for 56^th at 6-over 148. Rounding out the St. Joe’s lineup was junior Reed Winkler, a Salesianum product who finished alone in 74^th place at 157 after adding a 78 to his opening-round 79.

   Harvard was in 10^th place at 579, but the Crimson were led by freshman Brian Isztwan, who was the best player in the Inter-Ac League in his final two seasons at Penn Charter. Isztwan opened with a strong 3-under 68 before falling back a little with a 2-over 73 and is among the group tied for 16^th at 1-under 141.

   Another former Inter-Ac standout, Brown freshman Cole Kemmerer, who starred at Episcopal Academy, finished among the group tied for 66^th at 151 after adding a 77 to his opening round of 3-over 74.

   Rider was led by sophomore Griffin Smith, who starred scholastically at Council Rock South. Smith carded a pair of 1-under 70s to finish among the group tied for 12^th at 2-under 140.