Temple claims team title in Cornell Invitational behind McGrath, Whitney

    Behind a second straight runnerup performance individually by reigning BMW Philadelphia Amateur champion Conor McGrath, Temple rolled to an eight-shot victory in the Cornell Invitational, which wrapped up Monday at the Wachtung Valley Golf Club in Wachtung, N.J.

   McGrath, a junior who starred scholastically at the Academy of the New Church, opened with a solid 3-under-par 68 over the 6,911-yard, par-71 Wachtung Valley layout in last Sunday’s opening round before adding a 1-under 71 in Monday’s final round for a 3-under 139 total that left him in a for second place, three shots behind the individual champion, Colgate’s Dugan McCabe, a sophomore  from Bethesda, Md.

   McGrath had finished in second place in the Golfweek Fall Challenge at the True Blue Golf Course in Myrtle Beach, S.C. in the season opener for the Owls.

   McGrath helped the Owls, who play out of the American Athletic Conference, open with the best round of the opening day, a 2-under 284. They followed that up by matching par in Monday’s final round with a 284 that gave them a 2-under 566 total. It was the 10^th tournament victory for Temple under head coach Brian Quinn.

   Colgate, behind McCabe, was Temple’s closest pursuer, the Raiders, out of the Patriot League, matching par in the opening round with a 284 and adding a 6-over 290 in Monday’s final round that left them eight shots behind the Owls with a 6-over 874 total.

   It was another five shots back to Columbia as the Lions added a 293 to their solid opening round of 2-over 286 as they finished alone in third place with an 11-over 579 total.

   A couple of Columbia’s Ivy League rivals, tournament host Cornell and Princeton, were a shot behind the Lions, each landing on 12-over 580. The Big Red and the Tigers were in lockstep throughout the tournament, both adding a 5-over 289 to an opening-round 291.

   A fourth Ivy League entry, Penn, was five shots behind Cornell and Princeton in fifth place with a 585 total, the Quakers adding a 295 to their opening round of 6-over 290 for a 17-over 585 total.

   It was the season opener for Atlantic 10 entry Saint Joseph’s and the Hawks finished in eighth place in the 12-tream field at 21-over 289. Saint Joseph’s added a 295 to its opening-round 294.

   Temple also got a second straight strong performance out of Ethan Whitney, a freshman from Westminster, Mass who finished alone in fourth place in the individual standings with a 2-under 140 total. Whitney, who had begun his Temple career by finishing in a tie for 21^st place in the Golfweek Fall Challenge, carded a pair of 1-under 70s.

   Backing up the top two for Temple were senior Dawson Anders, a scholastic standout at Souderton, and Graham Chase, a sophomore from Charlotte, N.C., both of whom landed in the group tied for 13^th place at 3-over 145. Anders added a 1-over 72 to his opening-round 73 while Chase matched par in Monday’s final round with a 71 after opening with a 74.

   Rounding out the Temple lineup was freshman Joey Morganti, a St. Joseph’s Prep product who finished among the group tied for 30^th place at 7-over 149. Morganti contributed an even-par 71 to Temple’s solid start before adding a 78 in Monday’s final round.

   One of Morganti’s Catholic League rivals, freshman Buddy Hansen, who starred scholastically at La Salle, competed as an individual at Wachtung Valley and finished in a tie for 61^st place at 156. Hansen opened with a solid 3-over 74, but struggled in Monday’s final round with an 82.

   McCabe added a 4-under 67 to his opening-round 69 to capture the individual title with a 6-under 136 total. It was McCabe’s second victory of the young season as he had captured the individual crown when Colgate hosted the Alex Lagowitz Memorial Invitational at Seven Oaks Golf Club in Hamilton, N.Y.

   Penn’s Mark Haghani, a senior from Wilson, Wyo., shared runnerup honors with Temple’s McGrath at 3-under 139. Haghani held the lead with the best round of the tournament, a sparkling 6-under 65, in the opening round, but cooled off with a 3-over 74 in Monday’s final round.

   Haghani had opened the season by finishing in a tie for sixth place in the Ryan T. Lee Memorial Intercollegiate, which wrapped up Sept. 12 at Hop Meadow Country Club in Simsbury, Conn.

   Siena’s Brody Yates, a senior from Essex Station, N.Y., and Columbia’s Pat Healy, a junior from Centerport, N.Y., finished in a tie for fifth place, each landing on 1-under 141. Yates matched par in the opening round with a 71 before adding a 1-under 70 in Monday’s final round while Healy opened with a 1-under 70 before matching par with a 71 in Monday’s final round.

   Had been wondering if Noah Schwartz, a former Penn Charter standout whose bag I toted in qualifying for match play in the 2019 Philly Am at Stonewall, was still on the Cornell roster. And there he was, a senior now, alone in 12^th place at 2-over 144 after adding a 74 to a solid opening round of 1-under 70. The kid has game. It was nice to see him with a strong showing in the Cornell Invitational.

   Backing up Haghani for Penn was Carter Prince, a senior from Centerport, N.Y. who added a 74 to his opening-round 73 to finish among the group tied for 23^rd place at 5-over 147. Jimin Jung, a sophomore from Briarcliff Manor, N.Y., added a 75 to his opening-round 74 to finish among the group tied for 30^th place at 149.

   Andy Fan, a junior from Scarsdale, N.Y., finished among the group tied for 40^th place with a 151 total for the Quakers as he shaved five shots off his opening-round 78 with a 2-over 73 in Monday’s final round. Rounding out the Penn lineup was Anthony Basilio, a junior from Knoxville, Tenn. who finished in the group tied for 58^th place with a 155 total. After struggling to an 81 in the opening round, Basilio carded a solid 3-over 74 in Monday’s final round.

   Penn field an entire B team, which finished in a tie for 11^th place with a 608 total after adding a 300 to its opening-round 308.

   Leading the way for Penn’s B team were Jason Fan, a senior from Hong Kong, and John Richardson, a freshman from England, both of whom landed in the group tied for 40^th place at 151 that included Andy Fan. Jason Fan knocked off seven shots from his opening-round 79 with a 1-over 72 in Monday’s final round. Richardson opened with a solid 2-over 73 before finishing up with a 78.

   Leading the way for St. Joe’s was former Downingtown East standout Wills Montgomery, who is a graduate student while taking the fifth year of eligibility offered by the NCAA due to the coronavirus pandemic. Montgomery matched par in Monday’s final round with a 71 after opening with a 74 as he finished in the group tied for 13^th place at 3-over 145.

   Senior J.T. Spina, a two-time PIAA Class AAA qualifier during an outstanding scholastic career at Pope John Paul II, added a 74 to his opening-round 73 to finish among the group tied for 23^rd place with a 5-over 147 total. Sophomore Kevin Smith, who led Strath Haven to the District One Class AAA team crown as a senior in 2019, matched par in the opening round with a 71 before struggling to a 77 in the second round as he ended up in the group tied for 36^th place at 6-over 148.

   James Gorman, a sophomore from Greenville, S.C., knocked six shots off his opening-round 79 with a solid 2-over 73 in Monday’s final round to finish among the group tied for 45^th place at 152. Rounding out the St. Joe’s lineup was Jake Avery, a junior from Avon, Conn. who finished in the group tied for 54^th place at 154 after adding an 80 to the solid 3-over 74 he opened with.