Wren helps Delaware finish second in Wildcat Fall Invitational at White Manor

   A strong runnerup showing by Delaware, led by a tie for fourth for occasional Stonewall looper R.J. Wren, made it worthwhile to go back a week for a post on the Wildcat Fall Invitational.

   Villanova has traditionally hosted a Wildcat Invitational in the spring at White Manor Country Club in Willistown Township, an event that has been played in everything from 40 degrees with snow flurries flying to 40-mph winds and even some nice weather.

   Villanova decided to add a fall event to the schedule this year and it will also come back with its usual spring invitational as well. Other than a golf course that I’m certain was pretty soggy last weekend, the weather was better than the spring version of the event normally suffers through.

   Wren, a junior, had a solid scholastic career at Twin Valley and has had some injury setbacks. But the guy can play and his final round of even-par 71 over the 6,670-yard, par-71 White Manor layout gave him a 54-hole total of 3-over 216, a shot behind a trio of co-medalists.

   The solid showing from Wren was a big boost to the Blue Hens, who opened with a 5-over 289 Sept. 28, added a 1-over 285 Sept. 29 and finished up with an 8-over 292 Sept. 30 for a 20-over 872 total that left them eight shots behind team champion Appalachian State in second place.

   Appalachian State had two of the three co-medalists as Tripp Summerlin, a junior from Summerfield, N.C. and Chance Watson, a senior from Newland, N.C., shared the individual title with Georgetown’s Patrick DiPasquale, a junior from Rochester, N.Y., at 2-over 215.

   Appalachian State had back-to-back 1-over 285s in the first two rounds to take control of the team race before finishing up with a 10-over 294 for a 12-over 864 total.

   Reigning Big East champion Georgetown finished a shot behind Delaware in third at 21-over 873, the Hoyas finishing up with an 11-over 295. Virginia Commonwealth struggled a little in the opening round with a 299, but bounced back with a 3-over 287 and a 5-over 289 to take fourth with a 23-over 875 total.

   St. John’s finished up with its best round of the weekend, a 7-over 291, to finish fifth at 25-over 877. Seton Hall’s best round came in the second round when the Pirates posted a 4-over 288 on their way to a 28-over 980 total that left them in sixth place.

   Host Villanova finished seventh in the seven-team field, but after opening with a 305, there were some encouraging rounds for the young Wildcats as they posted a 2-over 286 in the second round before finishing up with a 7-over 291 for a 30-over 291 total.

   Summerlin and Watson were steady hands in capturing their respective piece of the individual title at 2-over 215. Summerlin matched par in the opening round with a 71 before adding a 1-under 70 and finishing up with a 3-over 74. Watson sandwiched an even-par 71 with a pair of 1-over 72s.

   Backing them up for the Mountaineers were Logan McNeely, a sophomore from Conover, N.C., and Alex Burris, a senior from Greensboro, N.C., both of whom finished among the group tied for 15^th at 7-over 220. Both contributed a 1-over 73 to Appalachian State’s strong opening round and Burris carded a 1-over 72 in the second round.

   Rounding out the starting lineup for Appalachian State was Candler Rice, a sophomore from Asheville, N.C. who finished among the group tied for 20^th at 221. After opening with a 76 the Mountaineers could toss, Rice added rounds of 1-over 72 and 2-over 73 that were counters.

   Georgetown’s DiPasquale was steady throughout in earning his share of the top spot in the individual chase as he matched Watson, sandwiching an even-par 71 with a pair of 1-over 72s.

   Wren opened up with a 1-over 71 and added a 2-over 73 before his strong final-round 71 in earning a share of fourth at 3-over 216. He was joined at that figure by Villanova’s Connor Daly, a junior from Bronxville, N.Y., and St. John’s Gerald Mackedon, a junior from Port Jefferson, N.Y.

   Daly, who finished in a tie for third at White Manor in last spring’s version of the Wildcat Invitational, contributed a 1-under 70 to Villanova’s solid second-round showing and finished up with a 1-over 72. After opening with an even-par 71, Mackedon added a 2-over 73 and a 1-over 72.

   Delaware junior Jack Melville, who was one of the top players in District One at Upper Dublin, headed a group of three players who finished tied for seventh at 4-over 217. Melville, who qualified for the U.S. Amateur at the Pebble Beach Golf Links during the summer, had the best individual round of the weekend for the Blue Hens, a 2-under 69 in the second round. He added respective 3-over 74s in the first and final rounds.

   The best individual round of the week belonged to Villanova’s Mark Benevento, a redshirt junior from Ocean City, N.J. who began his college career at Delaware. Benevento fired a sparkling 5-under 66 in the second round, a 10-shot improvement on an opening-round 76, before finishing up with a 75 to join the trio that landed on 4-over 217.

   Rounding out the group tied for seventh was Virginia Commonwealth’s Sachin Kumar, who had a pair of 1-over 72s after opening with a 2-over 73.

   Delaware got a couple of top-15 showings behind Wren and Melville. Christian Chapman, a sophomore from Victor, N.Y., carded a 1-under 70 in the final round to finish among the group tied for 13^th at 219 and Roberto Nieves, a freshman from Miami, Fla., had a couple of 1-over 72s before struggling in the final round with a 77 to finish among the group tied for 15^th at 220.

   Rounding out the Delaware lineup was Matt Pulgini, a freshman from Middletown, Del. who finished 29^th at 235 after a final-round 79. Freshman Nick Vecellio, a Northwestern Lehigh standout, competed as an individual and finished among the group tied for 31^st at 227. His best round was a 2-over 73 in the second round.

   Villanova got a solid showing from freshman Matt Davis, who was one of the Inter-Ac League’s top players the last four years at Malvern Prep. Backing up Daly and Benevento, Davis finished with a 1-under 70 to climb into the group tied for 20^th at 221.

   Reb Banas, a sophomore from Winnetka, Ill., finished 37th at 232 after a final-round 78 and Jack O’Hara, a freshman from Loudonville, N.Y., rounded out the Villanova lineup as he ended up in 40^th at 236 following his best round of the weekend, a 4-over 75, in the final round.

   Freshman Danny Dougherty, a Tower Hill product who, like Delaware’s Melville, qualified for the U.S. Amateur this summer, competed as an individual and struggled in the first two rounds before a closing 78 left him in 42^nd place at 246. Connor Downey, a junior from Franklin, Tenn., also competed as an individual and finished 43^rd at 251 after carding a final-round 86.