Pamer helps host Villanova capture team title in Wildcat Fazio Invitational at a tough Galloway National

 

   Villanova finished in a tie for fourth place in the Big East Championship a year ago, the highest finish for the Wildcats since 2012.

   With a victory in the Wildcat Fazio Invitational, which wrapped Tuesday at Galloway National Golf Club in Galloway Township, N.J., across the bay from Atlantic City, this year’s Villanova team is gaining some momentum with the Big East Championship on the horizon early next month.

   Villanova was coming off a runnerup finish in last month’s Golden Horseshoe Intercollegiate at the Golden Horseshoe Golf Course in Williamsburg, Va.

   This week, the host Wildcats, getting a tie for second place from Ryan “Coop” Pamer, a senior from Hudson, Ohio, pulled out a hard-fought two-shot victory over Big East rival Georgetown.

   It was Villanova’s second team title of the wraparound 2025-2026 season to go along with its victory in the Big 5 Championship last fall at The 1912 Club.

   And there was nothing easy about this win. Galloway National is a Tom Fazio design and his name was added to the tournament’s title in a nod to one of the most prolific golf course architects in the last, what, 30, 40 years.

   The teams played 36 holes Monday with a cold front settling in. With the ocean temperature slow to recover from our brutal winter, it has been even chillier along the coast. The wind started kicking up during the day Monday and was even more of a factor Tuesday.

   Tough conditions on a tough golf course sent the scores soaring, but Villanova gutted out the victory with a 30-over-par 882 total.

   The Wildcats opened with a 301 over the 7,111-yard, par-71 Galloway National layout and probably won the tournament with a sparkling 1-under 283 in the afternoon of Monday’s double round that gave them a three-shot lead over Georgetown going into Tuesday’s final round.

   Villanova closed with a 14-over 298 that enabled it to hold onto its advantage.

   Pamer led the way for the Wildcats as he finished in a tie for second place with Navy’s Chip Deegan, a senior from Newport Beach, Calif., as they both landed on 4-over 217.

   Georgetown’s Carson Erick, a freshman from Hingham, Mass., closed with a fairly spectacular 2-under 69, given the conditions, to claim the individual title with a 3-over 216 total.

   Pamer, who is putting the finishing touches on a really solid career at Villanova, matched par in the opening round with a 71 before adding a pair of 2-over 73s in the final two rounds to finish at 4-over.

   Villanova had two other players finish among the top eight as Brockton English, a graduate student from Shelby Township, Mich., ended up alone in fifth place with an 8-over 221 total, and Vibhav Alokam, a sophomore from Ypsilanti, Mich., landed among a trio of players tied for eighth place at 10-over 223.

   English, who transferred from Drexel to the Main Line for his postgraduate year, bounced back from an opening-round 81 in a big way with a 3-under 68 in the afternoon of Monday’s double round before closing with a 2-over 73.

   Alokam also struggled in the opening round with a 7-over 78, but, like English, rebounded in a big way with a 4-under 67, the low individual round of the tournament, in the afternoon of Monday’s double round. Alokam closed with another 78.

   Georgetown, behind Erick, finished two shots behind Villanova in second place with a 32-over 884 total as the Hoyas added a 10-over 294 in the afternoon of Monday’s double round to their opening-round 293 before closing with a 297, the low team round of the day in Tuesday’s cold wind.

   Erick trailed Pamer by three shots going into the final round after adding a 3-over 74 in the afternoon of Monday’s double round to his opening-round 73. But Erick’s closing 69, easily the best individual round of the day, earned him the first individual title of his collegiate career.

   Like Villanova, Georgetown had three players finish inside the top eight as Barnes Blake, a junior from Westfield, N.J., ended up in a tie for sixth place at 9-over 222 and C.J. Winchenbaugh, a sophomore from Weston, Mass., landed among the trio tied for eighth at 10-over.

   Blake added a 2-over 73 in the afternoon of Monday’s double round to his opening-round 75 before closing with a 74.

   Winchenbaugh sandwiched a 2-over 73 in the afternoon of Monday’s double round with a pair of 4-over 75s.

   Navy, playing out of the Patriot League, finished 12 shots behind Georgetown in third place with a 44-over 896 total.

   The Midshipmen added a 14-over 297 in the afternoon of Monday’s double round to their opening-round 296 before closing with a 303.

   Leading the way for Navy was Deegan as he closed with a 1-under 70 to get a share of second place with Villanova’s Pamer at 4-over. Deegan had opened with a 1-over 72 and added a 4-over 75 in the afternoon of Monday’s double round.

   Navy had another finisher in the top eight as senior Jack Tarzy, a regular on Philadelphia Section PGA Junior Tour leaderboards as a junior golfer, joined Villanova’s Alokam and Georgetown’s Winchenbaugh in the trio tied for eighth place at 10-over.

   Tarzy, who starred scholastically at The Hun School of Princeton, was coming off a share of medalist honors in the Golden Horseshoe Intercollegiate. It was the fourth individual title of what has been a tremendous senior season for Tarzy.

   After opening with a 3-over 74 at Galloway National, Tarzy added a solid 1-over 72 in the afternoon of Monday’s double round before closing with a 77.

   Seton Hall, another Big East entry, finished a shot behind Navy in fourth place with a 45-over 897 total as the Pirates added a 12-over 296 in the afternoon of Monday’s double round to their opening-round 298 before closing with a 303.

   Seton Hall was led by David Lally, a senior from Ireland who finished alone in fourth place in the individual standings, three shots behind Villanova’s Pamer and Navy’s Deegan with a 7-over 290 total. After opening with a 3-over 74, Lally added back-to-back 2-over 73s in the final two rounds.

   Rhode Island, an Atlantic 10 representative, finished five shots behind Seton Hall in fifth place with a 50-over 902 total.

   The Rams, at No. 137 the highest-ranked team in the field in the Scoreboard, powered by clippd, rankings, bounced back from an opening-round 302 with an 8-over 292 in the afternoon of Monday’s double round before struggling with a 308 in the final round.

   Penn, an Ivy League representative, finished three shots behind Rhode Island in sixth place with a 53-over 905 total. After opening with a 306, the Quakers added a 15-over 299 in the afternoon of Monday’s double round before closing with a 300.

   Penn had a strong individual showing from Ryan Chang, a sophomore from Brookline, Mass., but Chang was competing as an individual and didn’t count toward the team score.

   Chang opened with a solid 1-over 72 and added a 5-over 76 in the afternoon of Monday’s double round before closing with a 74 that earned him a share of sixth place with Georgetown’s Blake at 9-over 222.

   La Salle, one of Rhode Island’s A-10 rivals, shared seventh place in the 12-team field with Long Island, out of the Northeast Conference, each ending up with a 54-over 906 total that was a shot behind Penn.

   The Explorers bounced back from an opening-round 307 with an 11-over 295 in the afternoon of Monday’s double round before closing with a 304.

   After opening with a solid 6-over 290, the Sharks added a 310 in the afternoon of Monday’s double round before finishing up with a 306.

   Backing up Pamer, English and Alokam for Villanova was Nathan Marion, a junior from San Antonio, Texas who finished in the group tied for 34^th place with a 230 total. Marion added a 4-over 75 in the afternoon of Monday’s double round to his opening-round 77 before closing with a 78.

   Rounding out the Villanova lineup was senior Matt Zerfass, a three-time PIAA Class AAA qualifier at Emmaus who finished among a trio tied for 44^th place at 233.

   Zerfass, who shared medalist honors with Navy’s Tarzy in the Golden Horseshoe Intercollegiate last month, sandwiched an 83 in the afternoon of Monday’s double round with a pair of 4-over 75s, both of which were counters.

   Villanova head coach James Wilkes took the opportunity of the Wildcats’ home tournament to get the rest of his roster out on the golf course competing as individuals.

   Joshua Lavely, a senior from Kewadin, Mich., and Luke Leonard, a freshman from Jupiter, Fla., both landed in the group tied for 49^th place at 235.

   Lavely registered a pair of 80s in Monday’s double round before closing with a 4-over 75. Leonard got off to a solid start with a 2-over 73, but struggled to an 83 in the afternoon of Monday’s double round before finishing up with a 79.

   Peter Barros, a junior from Bethesda, Md., finished alone in 67^th place with a 249 total as he added an 83 in the afternoon of Monday’s double round to his opening-round 84 before closing with an 82.

   Ian Love, a sophomore from Chicago, Ill., finished alone in 69^th place with a 252 total as he opened with an 81 and added an 87 in the afternoon of Monday’s double round before closing with an 84.

   Rounding out the Villanova contingent was Cameron Besaw, a sophomore from New Canaan, Conn. who finished alone in 71^st place with a 255 total as he added an 80 in the afternoon of Monday’s double round to his opening-round 89 before closing with an 86.

   Villanova will compete in the Mountaineer Invitational, which tees off Monday at the Pete Dye Golf Club in Bridgeport, W. Va., in its final tuneup before the Big East Championship, which tees off May 2 at Riverton Pointe Golf & Country Club in Hardeeville, S.C.

   Penn got a couple of strong showings from Kayden Wang, a freshman from San Diego, Calif., and Hayden Adams, a junior from Lexington, Ky., as they landed in the trio tied for 12^th place at 12-over 225.

   Wang sandwiched a 2-over 73 in the afternoon of Monday’s double round with a pair of 76s. Adams, coming off a third-place finish in the Columbia Spring Invitational at the challenging William Flynn gem at Rolling Green Golf Club, added a 4-over 75 in the afternoon of Monday’s double round to his opening-round 77 before closing with a 2-over 73.

   Backing up Wang and Adams for the Quakers was Arjun Caprihan, a freshman from Short Hills, N.J. who finished among the group tied for 26^th place with a 228 total as added a 4-over 75 in the afternoon of Monday’s double round to his opening-round 79 before closing with a 3-over 74.

   Wesley Hu, a sophomore from Suwanee, Ga., finished in a tie for 32^nd place for Penn as he opened with a 3-over 74 and added a 76 in the afternoon of Monday’s double round before closing with a 77.

   Rounding out the Penn lineup was Max Fonseca, a junior from Miami, Fla. who finished alone in 64^th place with a 245 total. Fonseca struggled in Monday’s double round, posting a pair of 84s before closing with a 6-over 77.

   Penn will be running into some Ivy League foes in this weekend’s Princeton Invitational at Springdale Golf Club in Princeton, N.J. in its final tuneup before the Ivy League Championship, which tees off April 24 at the prestigious Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield, N.J.

   Leading the way for La Salle was Gavin Dosch, a junior from Draper, Utah who finished among the group tied for 15^th place with a 13-over 226 total. Dosch bounced back from an opening-round 81 by matching par in the afternoon of Monday’s double round with a 71 before closing with a 3-over 74.

   Kyle Virsik, a freshman from Melbourne, Fla., and Armand Loscalzo, a senior from Mount Pleasant, S.C., gave the Explorers two more top-20 finishers as they ended up in the group tied for 20^th place at 227.

   Virsik opened with a solid 1-over 72 and added a 76 in the afternoon of Monday’s double round before closing with a 79. Loscalzo bounced back from an opening-round 79 with a solid 1-under 70 in the afternoon of Monday’s double round before finishing up with a 7-over 78.

   Alex Yong, a sophomore from Stockton, N.J., finished among the group tied for 40^th place at 232 for La Salle as he tallied a pair of 7-over 78s in Monday’s double round before closing with a 76.

   Rounding out the La Salle lineup was Peyton Hawke, a sophomore from Canada who finished in a tie for 62^nd place with a 241 total. After opening with a 7-over 78, Hawke struggled to an 87 in the afternoon of Monday’s double round before closing with a 76.

   La Salle will close out it regular season when it tees it up in the Abarta Coca-Cola Collegiate Invitational Sunday at Northampton Country Club in Easton, its final tuneup before the Atlantic 10 Championship, which tees off April 27 at the Evermore Resort in Orlando, Fla.

   Also in the lineup for Seton Hall was junior Eli Shah, who had a pair of top-10 finishes in the PIAA Class AAA Championship during an outstanding scholastic career at Penncrest. Shah finished alone in 59^th place at Galloway National as he opened with an 8-over 79 before adding back-to-back 80s in the final two rounds.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LaHa claims individual title, leads Virginia to team crown in Terps Invitational with conference championships on the horizon

 

   The road to the NCAA Championship at the Omni La Costa Resort & Spa is about to enter the home stretch with conference championships teeing off later this month.

   Virginia, out of the Atlantic Coast Conference, took that road all the way to the match-play bracket at La Costa a year ago before the Cavaliers finally fell to powerful Stanford in the quarterfinals.

   It says here, if you’re one of those last eight teams standing for match play at the NCAA Championship, you were a great team and you had a great season.

   Virginia’s final tuneup before the ACC Championship gets under way April 16 at Porter’s Neck Country Club in Wilmington, N.C. came in the Terps Invitational, which wrapped up Monday at the University of Maryland Golf Course in College Park, Md.

   Virginia, behind individual champion Jaclyn LaHa, a junior from Pleasanton, Calif., overtook Kentucky, out of the Southeastern Conference, to capture the team crown, its first of the wraparound 2025-2026 season with a 4-under-par 860 total.

   LaHa was in the lineup for Virginia in that quarterfinal match with Stanford nearly a year ago and delivered the lone full point the Cavaliers earned.

   An Easter Sunday double round was played in changeable conditions. Pretty sure it was still fairly warm in the morning with rain bringing in a change in the weather – and a brief interruption of play -- during the first round. By the end of the day, the temperatures were falling and some wind was bringing in a return to more March-like conditions.

   LaHa struggled a little in the morning with a 2-over 74 over the 6,244-yard, par-72 University of Maryland layout, but unfurled the best individual round of the tournament, a 5-under 67, to take a three-shot lead into Monday’s final round.

   A final round of 1-under 70 in chilly, windy conditions gave LaHa a 5-under 211 and a four-shot victory, her first collegiate win.

   Virginia, No. 37 in the latest Scoreboard, powered by clippd, rankings, opened with a 3-over 291 and, fueled by LaHa’s sparkling effort, added a 6-under 282 in the afternoon of Sunday’s double round before closing with a 1-under 287 in Monday’s final round.

   Virginia ended up with four top-10 finishers in the Terps Invitational.

   Kennedy Swedick, a sophomore from Albany, N.Y., finished among a trio of players tied for third place with a 1-over 217 total. After matching par in the opening round with a 72, Swedick added a 2-over 74 in the afternoon of Sunday’s double round before contributing a critical 1-under 71 to the Cavaliers’ closing push.

   Elsie MacCleery, a freshman from Crozet, Va., and Mira Berglund, a junior from Sweden, finished among a group of five players who landed in a tie for sixth place at 2-over 218.

   MacCleery added a solid 1-under 71 in the afternoon of Sunday’s double round to her opening round of 2-over 74 before closing with a 1-over 73. After matching par in the opening round with a 72, Berglund added back-to-back 1-over 73s in the final two rounds.

   Kentucky, the highest-ranked team in the Terps Invitational field at No. 33 in the Scoreboard rankings, was right on Virginia’s heels the whole way.

   After matching Virginia’s opening round of 3-over 291, the Wildcats matched par in the afternoon of Sunday’s double round with a 288 that left them six shots behind the Cavaliers going into the final round.

   Kentucky actually had the lead at one point in Monday’s final round and its 5-under 283 was the best round of the day. But the Wildcats’ 2-under 862 total left them two shots behind Virginia in second place.

   Virginia and Kentucky were the only two teams to finish in red figures in the team competition.

   Kentucky was led by Karlie Campbell, a sophomore from Ethridge, Tenn. who was the only other player to finish under par as she earned runnerup honors with a 1-under 215 total that left her four shots behind LaHa.

   After struggling to a 4-over 76 in the opening round, Campbell carded a sparkling 3-under 69 in the afternoon of Sunday’s double round before closing with a 2-under 70.

    The Wildcats had two other top-10 finishers in the individual standings.

   C.A. Carter, a sophomore home girl from Lexington, Ky., closed with a 3-under 69 to join Virginia’s Swedick and High Point’s Makayla Grubb, a freshman from Stafford, Va., in the tie for third place at 1-over. Carter had opened with a 1-over 73 before adding a 3-over 75 in the afternoon of Sunday’s double round.

   Kentucky’s Raleygh Simpson, a sophomore from Kerrville, Texas, landed in the group tied for sixth place at 2-over as she matched par in the final round with a 72 after posting a pair of 1-over 73s in Sunday’s double round.

   The Wildcats would appear to be in pretty good shape to earn an at-large bid to an NCAA regional after failing to hear their name called a year ago when Kentucky hosted the Lexington Regional on its home course.

   The SEC Championship, the most competitive conference championship in the country, tees off April 17 at the Pelican Golf Club Belleair, Fla.

   It was 23 shots back from Kentucky to host Maryland, No. 72 in the Scoreboard rankings, in third place in the team standings with a 21-over 885 total.

   After opening with a 10-over 298, the Terrapins, a Big Ten representative, added a 5-over 293 in the afternoon of Sunday’s double round before closing with a 294.

   Maryland was led by Anna Pillard, a sophomore from France who landed among the quintet of players tied for sixth place at 2-over. Pillard sandwiched an even-par 72 in the afternoon of Sunday’s double round with a pair of 1-over 73s.

   High Point, a Big South Conference entry, finished two shots behind Maryland in fourth place with a 23-over 887 total. The Panthers, No. 62 in the Scoreboard rankings, bounced back from an opening-round 304 with a 5-over 293 in the afternoon of Sunday’s double round and a 2-over 290 in the final round.

   High Point was led by Grubb, who closed with a solid 2-under 70 to join Virginia’s Swedick and Kentucky’s Carter in the tie for third place at 1-over. Grubb had opened with a 3-over 75 before matching par in the afternoon of Sunday’s double round with a 72.

   The Panthers will tee off in the Big South Championship April 19 at the Fripp Island Golf Resort on Fripp Island, S.C.

   A couple more Big Ten entries, Wisconsin and Michigan, accounted for the next two spots in the team standings as the Badgers, No. 91 in the Scoreboard rankings, finished in fifth place with a 24-over 888 total, and the Wolverines, No. 57 in the Scoreboard rankings, ended up sixth with a 28-over 892 total.

   Wisconsin bounced back from an opening-round 302 with a 4-over 292 in Sunday afternoon’s second round and a 294 in the final round.

   After opening with a 300, Michigan put together a solid 2-over 290 in the afternoon of Sunday’s double round before closing with a 302.

   Delaware, No. 110 in the Scoreboard rankings, capped a pretty solid wraparound 2025-’26 season by finishing three shots behind Michigan in seventh place with a 31-over 895 total.

   The Blue Hens added an 11-over 299 in the afternoon of Sunday’s double round to their opening-round 303 before closing with a solid 5-over 293.

   Delaware will tee it up in the Conference USA Championship for the first time beginning April 20 at Stonebriar Country Club in Frisco, Texas.

   Penn State, No. 73 in the Scoreboard rankings, was another six shots behind Delaware in eighth place with a 37-over 901 total as the Nittany Lions opened with an 11-over 299 and added a 304 in the afternoon of Sunday’s double round before closing with a 298.

   The Nittany Lions, playing out of the Big Ten, were led by sophomore Hannah Rabb, the Pennsylvania high school champion in Class AA in 2022 as a junior at Warrior Run and the reigning Pennsylvania Women’s Amateur champion, as she rounded out the fivesome tied for sixth place at 2-over.

   Rabb, who has been solid for Penn State after transferring from James Madison, sandwiched a 4-over 76 in the afternoon of Sunday’s double round with a pair of 1-under 71s.

   It was the final tuneup for the Big Ten contingent in the field for the Terps Invitational -- host Maryland, Wisconsin, Michigan and Penn State -- before the conference championship, which, in a nod to the conference’s new West Wing, heads west and will tee off April 24 at Oakmont Country Club in Glendale, Calif.

   Richmond, which claimed the Atlantic 10 team title in its first year in the conference a year ago, finished five shots behind Penn State in ninth place in the 16-team field with a 32-over 906 total.

   After opening with an 11-over 299, the Spiders, No. 143 in the Scoreboard rankings, added a 302 in the afternoon of Sunday’s double round before closing with a 305.

   Richmond will open defense of its A-10 title back at the Evermore Resort in Orlando, Fla. where it captured the crown and the Charlottesville Regional bid that went with it last spring, when the conference championship tees off April 20.

   Rounding out the lineup for Virginia was Remi Bacardi, a freshman from Miami, Fla. who finished in the group tied fore 14^th place with a 5-over 221 total. Bacardi added a 1-under 71 in the afternoon of Sunday’s double round to her opening round of 1-over 73 – both counters for the Cavaliers – before closing with a 77.

   Miranda Lu, a freshman from Canada, competed as an individual for Virginia and finished among the group tied for 28^th with a 9-over 225 total. Lu added a 2-over 74 in the afternoon of Sunday’s double round to her opening-round 76 before finishing up with a 75.

   Leading the way for Delaware was sophomore Kate Roberts, the District One Class AAA champion in 2023 as a senior at Phoenixville who finished among the trio tied for 25^th place with an 8-over 224 total.

   Roberts, who earned a runnerup finish while competing as an individual for Delaware in last month’s Nashville Invitational at the Presidents’ Reserve Golf Club in Hermitage, Tenn., sandwiched a 4-over 76 in the afternoon of Sunday’s double round with a pair of 2-over 74s.

   It was another solid showing for junior Marissa Marosh, a two-time PIAA Class AAA qualifier at South Fayette who finished in the group tied for 28^th place with a 9-over 225 total. Marosh added a 3-over 75 in the afternoon of Sunday’s double round to her opening-round 78 before matching par in the final round with a 72.

   Junior Mary Grace Dunigan, who helped Unionville claim a state team crown in Class AAA as a sophomore in 2020, finished in the group tied for 34^th place for the Blue Hens with a 226 total. Dunigan struggled in Sunday’s double round, adding an 80 to her opening round of 4-over 76, but finished strong, closing with a 2-under 70.

   Anushka Sawant, a sophomore from South Brunswick, N.J., finished in the group tied for 43^rd place with a 228 total as she opened with a 3-over 75, added a 76 in the afternoon of Sunday’s double round and closed with a 77.

   Rounding out the Delaware lineup was Hyunji Kim, a sophomore from England who finished in a tie for 67^th place with a 233 total. Kim bounced back from an opening-round 81 by matching par in the afternoon of Sunday’s double round with a 72 before struggling again in the final round with an 80.

   Backing up Rabb for Penn State was Audrey Lam, a freshman from Belgium who finished among the group tied for 28^th place with a 9-over 225 total. Lam, who has been solid all season for the Nittany Lions, recorded a pair of 1-over 73s in Monday’s double round before closing with a 79.

   Mara King, a freshman from Lake Mary, Fla., finished in the group tied for 43^rd place at 228 as she added a 6-over 78 in the afternoon of Sunday’s double round to her opening-round 76 before closing with her best round of the tournament, a 2-over 74.

   Jiratchaya Jiratthitinun, a sophomore from Thailand, finished among the group tied for 63^rd place with a 232 total. Jiratthitinun added a 5-over 77 in the afternoon of Sunday’s double round to her opening-round 80 before finishing up with her best round of the tournament, a 3-over 75.

   Rounding out the Penn State lineup was Lillian Guleserian, a freshman from Westwood, Mass. who finished in a tie for 84^th place with a 239 total. After opening with a 7-over 79, Guleserian struggled to an 82 in the afternoon of Sunday’s double round before closing with a 78.

   Penn State head coach Kristen Simpson brought along Lauren Thompstone, a sophomore from France, to compete as an individual and Thompstone just might have earned herself a spot in the starting lineup for the Big Ten Championship as she finished alone in 13^th place with a 4-over 220 total.

   After opening with a 4-over 76, Thompstone added a 1-over 73 in the afternoon of Sunday’s double round before finishing strong with a 1-under 71 in Monday’s final round.

   Lam had led the way by finishing in a tie for 11^th place in the individual standings as Penn State finished in seventh place with a 28-over 892 total in the Liz Murphey Collegiate Classic, which wrapped up March 30^th at the University of Georgia Golf Course in Athens, Ga.

   Lam closed with a solid 1-under 71 to end up with a 3-over 219 total.

   When Richmond tees it up in the A-10 Championship at the Evermore Resort, senior Hannah Lydic, who starred scholastically at Sussex Academy, will be defending the individual title she won a year ago that sparked the furious rally that gave the Spiders the conference championship.

   Lydic tuned up for her title defense by finishing among the group tied for 43^rd place with a 228 total in the Terps Invitational. Lydic opened with a solid 1-over 73, but struggled a little after that, adding a 78 in the afternoon of Sunday’s double round before closing with a 77.