With the weather forecast calling for snow Monday – a
forecast that proved to be all too accurate, particularly in the Lehigh Valley
– the ABARTA Coca-Cola Lehigh Valley Collegiate Invitational was transformed
from a two-day, 36-hole event into an Easter Sunday marathon at The Steel Club
in Hellertown.
Rhode Island had the best team round of the day in the
afternoon, a 1-under-par 287 over the 6,655-yard, par-72 Steel Club layout, to
claim a two-shot victory over Lehigh. The Steel Club is the former Silver Creek
Country Club, a Donald Ross design in Northampton County.
Rhode Island, No. 210 in the latest Golfstat rankings, opened with a 12-over 300 and its under-par
effort in the afternoon left the Rams with an 11-over 587 total. Lehigh, one
behind Rhode Island in the Golfstat
rankings at No. 211, opened with a 298 and added a solid 3-over 291 to finish
at 13-over 589.
Robert Morris posted a pair of 8-over 296s to finish third
at 16-over 292. Connecticut, the highest-ranked team in the field at No. 133,
followed up an opening-round 303 with a 3-over 291 to finish fourth at 18-over
594. The Huskies were led by individual champion Tim Umphrey, a sophomore from
Northborough, Mass. who prevailed in a three-man playoff after firing a 4-under
68 in the afternoon for a 2-under 142 total.
Villanova, which got some work in during a trip to Florida
and Georgia earlier in the spring, grabbed the team lead after opening with a
6-over 294 in the morning, but an afternoon 302 left the Wildcats alone in
fifth place in the 17-team field at 20-over 596.
Not bad, but I’m sure head coach Jim Wilkes envisioned a
better finish after the morning round.
Rhode Island was led by Jason Short, a redshirt sophomore
from Marlborough, Mass. who earned a spot in the playoff for the individual
title alongside Umphrey and Robert Morris’ Max Palmer, a sophomore from Novi,
Mich.
Short matched Umphrey’s day as each carded a 2-over 74 in
the morning and roared home with a 4-under 68 in the afternoon. Palmer opened
with a 1-over 73 and added a 3-under 69 in the afternoon.
Palmer was knocked out of the playoff on the first hole when
he made a bogey. A par by Umphrey on the second hole gave him the title over
Short.
But Short got a nice consolation prize with the Rams taking
home the team title. Dawson Jones, a junior from Howell, N.J., backed up Short
as he finished up with a solid 2-under 70 to finish in the group tied for
eighth at 1-over 145.
Chris Francoeur, a freshman from Amesbury, Mass., finished
tied for 22nd at 150 after a final-round 76 and Bobby Weise, a
freshman from Freehold, N.J., and Brody King, a redshirt junior from Tulsa,
Okla., both finished in a group tied for 38th at 153. Weise bounced
back from an opening-round 80 with a 1-over 73 that was crucial to the Rams’
team success while King added a 76 to his opening-round 77.
Villanova was led by senior Andy Butler, a member of Manheim
Township’s 2012 PIAA Class AAA championship team. Butler finished alone in
fourth at 1-under 143 after opening with one of the best rounds of the morning,
a 2-under 70, and adding a 1-over 73 in the afternoon.
Wilkes went with one other senior, Zach Egermayer of Glen
Rock, N.J., and three youngsters with mixed results as he tries to find the
right combination to take to the Big East Championship.
Connor Daly, a sophomore from Bronxville, N.Y., was
typically solid, adding an even-par 72 to his opening-round 75 to finish tied
for 11th at 3-over 147.
Matt Barnes, a freshman from Bethesda, Md., had a lot to do
with Villanova’s solid opening round as he fired a 1-under 71. But he struggled
to an 81 in the afternoon to finish in a tie for 31st at 152.
Reb Barnas, a freshman from Winnetka, Ill., finished in a tie
for 53rd at 155 after adding a 76 to his opening-round 79. Egermayer
never really got it going, finishing tied for 79th at 161 with
rounds of 78 and 83, although the morning 78 was a counter for the Wildcats.
The Wildcat contingent might have stayed up a little later
than normal Saturday night considering the men’s basketball team was in the
process of punishing Kansas in a Final Four game that didn’t tip off until
nearly 9 o’clock.
Lehigh’s Billy Johns, a senior from Johns Creek, Ga., headed
a group of three players who finished tied for fifth at even-par 144. Johns
carded a 1-under 71 in the afternoon after opening with a 73.
Niagara’s Christian Nizamis, a senior from Baldwinsville,
N.Y., fired the only sub-70 round of the morning, a 3-under 69, before falling
back with a 75 in the afternoon. The University of Ottawa’s Anthony Brodeur
joined Johns and Nizamis in the group at even-par 144 as he posted a pair of
72s.
Ron Robinson, the former North Penn standout and runnerup to
Ben Pochet in the race for the Golf Association of Philadelphia Player of the
Year honors last summer, was in the lineup for Monmouth and the freshman finished
tied for 47th at 154 after rounds of 79 and 75.
Monmouth finished 12th at 613 with rounds of 308
and 305.
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