Iampongsai, Homer help Delaware end long drought by taking title in Rutherford Intercollegiate at Penn State

 

   With two finishers among the top seven, Delaware claimed its first team title since 2021 with a four-shot victory over Long Island in the 48^th annual Rutherford Invitational, Penn State’s traditional home event in less than ideal early spring conditions at Penn State’s Blue Course.

   The Blue Hens, in their final tuneup for their final appearance in the Coastal Athletic Association Championship, put a nose in front with a 3-under-par 281 over the 7,130-yard, par-71 Blue Course layout in the afternoon of Saturday’s double round that gave them a three-shot lead over Long Island going into Sunday’s final round.

   Pretty sure the front that made Saturday morning a rainy mess in southeastern Pennsylvania was pulling away from central Pennsylvania by the time the Rutherford teed off Saturday morning, but temperatures were still in the mid-40s with wind and drizzle.

   Delaware had opened with a 2-over 286 in those brutal conditions. The Blue Hens closed with a solid 2-under 282 and stubbornly held onto their lead, finishing with a 3-under 849 total.

   Ikk Iampongsai, a freshman from Thailand, led the way for Delaware as he finished in a tie for fourth place in the individual standings with Western Carolina’s Ivan Vinkovic, a junior from Croatia, both landing on 2-under 212.

   After matching par in the opening round with a 71, Iampongsai contributed a solid 3-under 68 in the afternoon of Saturday’s double round for the Blue Hens before closing with a 1-over 72.

   Sophomore Matt Homer, one of Delaware’s Homer twins who were scholastic standouts at The Tatnall School, was the picture of consistency at the Blue Course, rattling off three straight even-par 71s to finish alone in seventh place with an even-par 213.

   Matt and Jeff Homer were also prominent in the Golf Association of Philadelphia’s junior events with Jeff Homer being named GAP’s Junior Player of the Year in 2023 and Matt claiming titles in two of GAP’s major championships for juniors, the Christman Cup and the Jock MacKenzie Memorial in 2022.

   The victory gives the Blue Hens some momentum heading into their final appearance in the CAA Championship, which tees off April 22 at Cape May National Golf Club at the Jersey Shore. Delaware is moving to Conference USA beginning with the 2025-2026 season.

   Long Island, out of the Northeast Conference, posted a pair of 1-over 285s in the difficult conditions of Saturday’s double round and trailed Delaware by just three shots going into the final round. The Sharks closed with a solid 1-under 283 to finish four shots behind Delaware with a 1-over 853 total.

   Long Island was led by Arjun Singh Bhatia, a sophomore from India who finished in third place in the individual standings with a 3-under 210 total that left him three shots behind the individual champion, Rhode Island’s Luke Stennett, a freshman from Portland, Conn., and a shot behind runnerup Justin LaRue, a senior at Longwood from South Chesterfield, Va.

   After matching par with a 71 in the opening round, Singh Bhatia matched the low individual round of the tournament, a sparkling 5-under 66 in the afternoon of Saturday’s double round that left him in a tie for first place with Stennett for the individual lead going into Sunday’s final round. Singh Bhatia closed with a 2-over 73.

   Longwood, out of the Big South Conference, finished four shots behind Long Island in third place with a 6-over 857 total. The Lancers bounced back from an opening round of 8-over 292 with a solid 2-under 282 in the afternoon of Saturday’s double round before closing with a 1-under 283.

   LaRue led the way for Longwood as he matched par in the afternoon of Saturday’s double round with a 71 after opening with a 1-under 70 before closing with a solid 3-under 68 that left him two shots behind Rhode Island’s Stennett in second place in the individual standings with a 4-under 209 total.

   Stennett helped Rhode Island, an Atlantic 10 representative, finish six shots behind Longwood in fourth place with an 11-over 863 total.

   The Rams got off to a great start with a 3-under 281 in the challenging conditions of Saturday’s opening round and added a 7-over 291 in the afternoon that left them five shots behind Delaware in third place going into the final round. Rhode Island closed with another 7-over 291.

   Stennett matched the low round of the tournament as he contributed a fairly remarkable 5-under 66 in the difficult conditions to Rhode Island’s strong start in Saturday morning’s opening round. He matched par in the afternoon of Saturday’s double round with a 71 before closing with a 1-under 70 that earned him his first collegiate individual victory with a 6-under 207 total.

   The week began for Stennett and LaRue last Monday with maybe even more challenging conditions in the 36 holes of qualifying for match play in the Dragon Match Play Invitational hosted by Drexel at Green Valley Country Club. I’m thinking that playing 36 holes in equally miserable weather five days earlier at Green Valley might have paid dividends for the top two finishers in the Rutherford Intercollegiate.

   Rhode Island defeated Longwood in the final to capture the title in the Dragon Match Play Invitational.

   Connecticut, out of the Big East, finished a shot behind Rhode Island in fifth place with a 12-over 864 total as the Huskies opened with a 9-over 293 and added a 5-over 289 in the afternoon of Saturday’s double round before closing with a solid 2-under 282.

   Host Penn State, the highest-ranked of the top six in the team standings at No. 137 in the Scoreboard, powered by clippd, rankings, finished six shots behind UConn in sixth place in the 12-team field with an 18-over 870 total. The Nittany Lions added a solid 1-over 285 in the afternoon of Saturday’s double round to their opening round of 6-over 290 before closing with an 11-over 295.

   Penn State was led by Jake Griffin, a senior from Kensington, Md. who, I’m pretty sure, was making his final appearance in the Rutherford. Griffin was really solid, matching par in both rounds of Saturday’s double round with a pair of 71s before closing with a 1-under 70 to finish alone in sixth place with a 1-under 212 total.

   It was the final tuneup for the Nittany Lions before the Big Ten Championship, which tees off April 25 at Baltimore Country Club’s Five Farms East Course, an A.W. Tillinghast gem.

   Should be a fascinating renewal of the Big Ten Championship with traditional powers Illinois and Northwestern being joined by the new shooters from the West Coast in Southern California, UCLA, Oregon and Washington.

   Backing up Iampongsai and Matt Homer for Delaware were Casper Nerpin, a junior from Sweden, and Egor Zubov, a senior from Israel, as they finished among the group tied for 14^th place at 3-over 216.

   After opening with a 1-over 72, Nerpin signed for a solid 2-under 69 in the afternoon of Saturday’s double round before closing with a 4-over 75. Zubov was the low Blue Hen in Sunday’s final round with a critical 3-under 68. He had opened with a 4-over 75 before adding a 2-over 73 in the afternoon of Saturday’s double round.

   Arsit Areephun gave Delaware a fifth top-20 finisher as he ended up in a tie for 20^th place with a 4-over 217 total. After opening with a 1-over 72, Areephun added a 4-over 75 in the afternoon of Saturday’s double round before matching par in the final round with a 71, another result that enabled the Blue Hens to hold off Long Island.

   Western Carolina’s Vinkovic struggled in the miserable conditions of the opening round with a 4-over 75, but added back-to-back 3-under 68s in the final two rounds to get his share of fourth place Delaware’s Iampongsai at 2-under.

   Longwood senior Scott Jordan, a two-time PIAA Class AAA qualifier at Upper St. Clair, headed a group of four players tied for eighth place at 1-over 214, a shot behind Delaware’s Matt Homer. After matching par in the opening round with a 71, Jordan added a 1-under 70 in the afternoon of Saturday’s double round before closing with a 2-over 73.

   Rounding out the foursome tied at 1-over were Long Island’s Taimor Malik, a junior from Kenya, Towson’s Jai Sheth, a junior from Elkridge, Md., and Connecticut’s Connor Goode, a junior from Glastonbury, Conn.

   Malik gave the Sharks a second top-10 finisher as he registered back-to-back 1-over 72s in Saturday’s double round before matching par with a 71 in the final round.

   Sheth opened with a solid 2-under 69 in the wind and cold of Saturday morning and added a 4-over 75 in the afternoon of the double round before matching par in the final round with a 71.

   Goode closed with a solid 3-under 68 to join the group at 1-under. He had opened with a 3-over 74 before adding a 1-over 72 in the afternoon of Saturday’s double round.

   Backing up Griffin for Penn State were senior Morgan Lofland, a two-time PIAA Class AAA qualifier at Conestoga, and Alex Creamean, a sophomore from Winnetka, Ill., as they both finished among a trio tied for 24^th place at 6-over 219.

   It was the final Rutherford for Lofland, who, like Delaware’s Matt Homer, was a GAP Junior Player of the Year, Lofland earning the honor in 2021. Lofland matched par in the opening round with a 71 and added a 2-over 73 in the afternoon of Saturday’s double round before closing with a 4-over 75.

   Creamean has had a solid spring and he sandwiched an even-par 71 in the afternoon of Saturday’s double round with a pair of 3-over 74s.

   Andres Barraza, a junior from Parkland, Fla., finished among the group tied for 37^th place at 10-over 223 for Penn State as he added a solid 1-under 70 in the afternoon of Saturday’s double round to his opening round of 3-over 74 before struggling a little in the final round with a 79.

   Rounding out the Penn State lineup was Zach Smith, a sophomore from Canada who finished alone in 55^th place with a 228 total. Smith added a 6-over 77 in the afternoon of Saturday’s double round to his opening-round 75 before closing with a 5-over 76.

   Penn State head coach Mark Leon used the occasion of hosting the Rutherford to send out three players to compete as individuals, probably with an eye toward figuring which five he will take to Baltimore Country Club for the Big Ten Championship.

   Robby O’Regan, a sophomore from Northbrook, Ill., sandwiched a 3-over 74 in the afternoon of Saturday’s double round with a pair of 2-over 73s as he finished among the group tied for 27^th place with a 7-over 220 total.

   Will Preston, a freshman from Grand Rapids, Mich., and Jud Langile, a graduate student from Ossining, N.Y., joined their teammate Barraza in the group tied for 37^th place at 10-over 223.

   Preston opened with a solid 1-over 72 and added a 4-over 76 in the afternoon of Saturday’s double round before closing with a 4-over 75. After opening with a 2-over 73, Langile added a 5-over 76 in the afternoon of Saturday’s double round before closing with a 3-over 74.

   For Longwood freshman Hunter Swidzinski, the Rutherford was a return to the Penn State Blue Course where he won the individual crown in the PIAA Class AAA Championship as a senior at Butler in dramatic fashion in a playoff in 2023.

   After struggling with a 79 in the opening round, Swidzinski added a 1-over 72 in the afternoon of Saturday’s double round before matching par in the final round with a 71 to finish among the group tied for 32^nd place with a 9-over 222 total.