Villanova's Weaver captures individual crown in Golden Horseshoe Intercollegiate

    Villanova’s Peter Weaver held on in difficult conditions to claim a one-shot victory in the individual chase in the Golden Horseshoe Intercollegiate, which wrapped up Tuesday on the Golden Horseshoe Golf Club’s Gold Course in Williamsburg, Va.

   With winter delivering one last salvo, even as far south as Williamsburg, Weaver, a sophomore from Frontenac, Mo., put together a masterful four-birdie, no-bogey opening round of 4-under-par 67 over the 6,817-yard, par-71 Gold Course layout in the first of a scheduled double round Monday.

   Georgetown’s Will O’Neill, a senior from Morristown, N.J., did Weaver one better in the opening round, registering a sparkling 5-under 66. Then the two dueled throughout the rest of Monday and into Tuesday’s final round.

   The second round wasn’t completed until Tuesday morning and Weaver, with a 4-over 75, caught O’Neill, who finished up a 5-over 76, at even-par 142. Weaver gutted out a 1-over 72 in Tuesday’s final round for a 1-over 214 total that was one shot better than O’Neill, who closed with a 2-over 73 for a 2-over 215 total. It was the second career tournament victory for Weaver.

   It was a tremendous battle between the two as third-place finisher Will Halamandaris, a graduate student at George Mason from Annapolis, Md., was four shots behind O’Neill with a 6-over 219 total as the rest of the field had a tough time on a difficult golf course with cold and windy conditions.

   Colonial Athletic Association representative Towson outlasted Georgetown to claim the team title with a 30-over 882 total that was seven shots better than the Hoyas of the Big East.

   Georgetown, behind O’Neill’s spectacular opening round, opened with a solid 3-over 287 that was seven shots better than Towson’s 294. Despite struggling a little, the Tigers hung in there with a 300 in the second round while Georgetown cooled off with a 301 and, when the second round was finally in the books Tuesday morning, Towson trailed the Hoyas by six shots.

   Towson, however, put together its best round of the tournament, a 4-over 288, in Tuesday’s final round, which enabled the Tigers to overtake Georgetown, which closed with a second straight 301 to finish with a 37-over 889 total.

   It was another 10 shots back to Old Dominion, a Conference USA entry, in third place as the Monarchs closed with a solid 5-over 289 for a 47-over 899 total. Old Dominion had opened with a 302 before wrapping up a 308 when the second round was completed Tuesday morning.

   George Mason, out of the Atlantic 10, finished five shots behind Old Dominion in fourth place with a 52-over 904 total. After opening with a solid 14-over 298, the Patriots added back-to-back 303s in the final two rounds.

   With Weaver leading the way, Villanova, one of Georgetown’s Big East rivals, finished in fifth place, a shot behind George Mason with a 53-over 905 total. The Wildcats added a 301 in the second round to their opening-round 300 before closing with a 304.

   Longwood, out of the Big South Conference, finished two shots behind Villanova in sixth place with a 55-over 907 total. The Lancers opened with a 299 and added a 305 in the second round before closing with a 303.

   Saint Joseph’s, getting a solid showing from senior J.T. Spina, who starred scholastically at Pope John Paul II and finished in a tie for sixth place, finished in a tie for 11^th place with Penn, each landing on 82-over 934.

   The Hawks, another Atlantic 10 entry, bounced back from an opening-round 316 with a 305 in the second round before finishing up with a 313.

   The Quakers, of the Ivy League, got a nice performance from Mark Haghani, a senior from Wilson, Wyo. who finished among a trio of players tied for eighth place. Penn opened with a 312, but really struggled with a 329 in the second round before closing with a solid 9-over 293.

   Penn took a full B team to Williamsburg and the second-stringers finished just five shots between Penn’s top team and Saint Joseph’s in 13^th place with an 87-over 939 total. There were 15 teams in the field, counting the two Penn teams. Penn’s B team got better in each round as it added a 313 in the second round to its opening-round 319 before finishing up with a 307.

   Leading the way for Towson was Phil Minnehan, a freshman from Rochester, N.Y. who finished in a tie for fourth place with a 7-over 220 total. Minnehan opened with a 2-over 73 and added a 75 in the disjointed second round before closing with a solid 1-over 72.

   Backing up Minnehan for the Tigers was senior Justin Griffith, a scholastic standout at Hampton in the Pittsburgh area who finished among the group tied for 11^th place with an 11-over 224 total. Griffith was in the hunt for the individual title after matching par in the opening round with a 71 and adding a solid 2-over 73 in a second round spread over two days. He struggled to an 80 in the final round.

   Brad Freyberger, a freshman from Ashburn, Va., finished in a tie for 15^th place for Towson with a 225 total as he added a 77 in the second round to his opening-round 76 before closing with a solid 1-over 72.

   Brad Riley, a junior from Olney, Md., saved his best for last as he was the low Tiger in Tuesday’s final round -- it was the best round for the entire field -- with a 1-under 70 to finish in a tie for 20^th place with a 227 total. Riley had opened with a 3-over 74 before struggling to an 83 in the second round.

   Rounding out the Towson line up was Jeremy Summerson, a junior from Victor, N.Y. who finished among the group tied for 39^th place with a 233 total. After struggling to an 84 in the opening round, Summerson bounced back in the final two rounds with a 75 in the second round and a solid final round of 3-over 74.

   George Mason’s Halamandaris was steady in the difficult conditions as he added a 1-over 72 in the second round to his opening-round 74 before closing with a 73 to finish alone in third place, four shots behind O’Neill with a 6-over 219 total.

   Joining Towson’s Minnehan in the tie for fourth place at 7-over 220, a shot behind Halamandaris, was Old Dominion’s Jacob Henriksson, a sophomore from Sweden. Henriksson sandwiched a 74 in the second round with a pair of 2-over 73s.

   It was a strong showing by St. Joe’s Spina, a two-time PIAA Class AAA qualifier during his scholastic career at Pope John Paul II and the son of John Spina, the director of instruction at Philadelphia Cricket Club. Spina sandwiched a solid 1-over 72 in the second round with a pair of 75s to get his share of sixth place with a 9-over 222 total.

   Spina was joined at 222 by Henriksson’s Old Dominion teammate and fellow Swede, Rasmus Konradsson, a senior who opened with a solid 1-under 70, struggled in the second round with a 78 and finished up with a 3-over 74.

   Penn’s Haghani matched par in the opening round with a 71, struggled to a 79 in the second round and closed with a 2-over 73 to finish in the trio tied for eighth place with a 10-over 223 total.

   Joining Haghani in the tie for eighth place at 223 were Longwood freshman Scott Jordan, who finished in the top-10 in the PIAA Class AAA Championship in his final two scholastic seasons at Upper St. Clair in 2019 and 2020, and Fairleigh Dickinson’s Leon Heitz, a freshman from Germany.

   After struggling with a 77 in the opening round, Jordan added a solid 1-over 72 in the second round before finishing up with a 3-over 74. Heitz carded back-to-back 3-over 74s in the first two rounds before closing with a 75.

   Backing up Weaver for Villanova was Matthew Copeland, a graduate student from Maryville, Tenn. who transferred to the Main Line after playing three years at Wofford. Copeland added a 2-over 73 in the second round to his opening-round 74 before closing with a 78 to finish in a tie for 15^th place with a 225 total.

   Noah Peck, a senior from Hunt Valley, Md., finished among the group tied for 42^nd place with a 234 for the Wildcats as he added a 77 in the second round to his opening-round 79 before closing with a 78.

   Rounding out the Villanova lineup were Luke Alexander, a junior from Rochester, Minn., and Vimal Alokam, a freshman from Ypsilanti, Mich., both of whom landed among the group tied for 62^nd place, each registering a 243 total.

   Alexander bounced back from an opening-round 86 with a 5-over 76 in the second round before finishing up with an 81. Alokam struggled in the second round with an 87 after opening with an 80 before righting the ship in the final round with a 5-over 76.

   Senior Matt Davis, one of the Inter-Ac League’s top players during his scholastic career at Malvern Prep, competed as an individual for Villanova and finished alone in 53^rd place with a 238 total. Davis, a product of the junior program at Aronimink Golf Club, added a 79 in the second round to his opening-round 81 before finishing up with a 78.

   Backing up Spina for Saint Joseph’s was graduate student Wills Montgomery, who was a scholastic standout at Downingtown East. Montgomery added a 78 in the second round to his opening-round 77 before closing with a 76 that left him among the group tied for 31^st place with a 231 total.

   Jake Avery, a junior from Avon, Conn., finished in a tie for 60^th place with a 242 total as he added a 79 in the second round to his opening-round 81 before closing with an 82.

   James Gorman, a sophomore from Greenville, S.C., recovered from an opening-round 85 with a 78 in the second round before carding a final-round 80 that left him in the group tied for 62^nd place with a 243 total.

   Rounding out the St. Joe’s lineup was sophomore Kevin Smith, who led Strath Haven to the District One Class AAA team crown in 2019. Smith posted a solid 6-over 77 in the second round after an opening-round 83, but struggled again in the final round with an 87 that left him alone in 73^rd place with a 247 total.

   Backing up Haghani for Penn’s first five was John Richardson, a freshman from England, who struggled in the second round with an 88 after opening with a 77 and then posted his best round of the tournament, a 5-over 76, in the final round to end up among the group tied for 50^th place with a 237 total.

   Harrison Ornstein, a junior from Naples, Fla., finished in a tie for 56^th place with a 240 total as he added an 80 in the second round to his opening-round 79 before closing with an 81. After struggling in the first two rounds with back-to-back 85s, Carter Prince, a senior from Centerport, N.Y., turned it around in the final round with a 2-over 73 that left him among the group tied for 62^nd place with a 243 total.

   Rounding out the lineup for Penn’s top team was Anthony Basilio, a junior from Knoxville, Tenn. who finished alone in 71^st place with a 245 total. Like Prince, Basilio posted back-to-back 85s in the first two rounds before bouncing back in the final round with a 4-over 75.

   The Quakers got a solid showing from Jason Langer, a senior from Boca Raton, Fla. who led the way for Penn’s B team by finishing alone in 30^th place with a 230 total. Langer sandwiched a 3-over 74 in the second round with a pair of 78s.

   George Roessler, a freshman from North Palm Beach, Fla., struggled in the second round with an 83 after opening with a 77, but finished up with a solid 3-over 74 to end up in the group tied for 42^nd place with a 234 total.

   Andy Fan, a junior from Scarsdale, N.Y., bounced back from an opening-round 83 with a 76 in the second round and a final-round 77 as he finished among the group tied for 47^th place with a 236 total. Jimin Jung, a sophomore from Briarcliff Manor, N.Y., joined Penn teammate Ornstein in a tie for 56^th place at 240 as Jung add an 80 in the second round to his opening-round 81 before closing with a 79.

   Rounding out the lineup for Penn’s B team was Jason Fan, a senior from Hong Kong who finished in a tie for 69^th place with a 244 total as he registered back-to-back 83s in the first two rounds before improving in the final round with a 78.

   Villanova, Saint Joseph’s and Penn are in the stretch run of their regular seasons as all three schools will tee it up in conference championships in April.

   Villanova will compete in the Big East Championship, which tees off April 25 at the Callaway Resort & Gardens in Pine Mountain, Ga.

   St. Joe’s will play in the Atlantic 10 Championship, which tees off April 29 at the Reunion Resort & Golf Club’s Watson Course in Orlando, Fla.

   Penn will play in the Ivy League Championship, which tees off April 22 at Century Country Club in Purchase, N.Y., which is one of the usual sites for U.S. Open sectional qualifying each spring. It will be the first Ivy League Championship contested since 2019 as the 2020 tournament was cancelled with the onset of the coronavirus pandemic and the Ivy League continued its suspension of athletics throughout the 2020-2021 academic year in response to the ongoing pandemic.