Villanova's Weaver captures individual crown in Golden Horseshoe Intercollegiate

    Villanova’s Peter Weaver held on in difficult conditions to claim a one-shot victory in the individual chase in the Golden Horseshoe Intercollegiate, which wrapped up Tuesday on the Golden Horseshoe Golf Club’s Gold Course in Williamsburg, Va.

   With winter delivering one last salvo, even as far south as Williamsburg, Weaver, a sophomore from Frontenac, Mo., put together a masterful four-birdie, no-bogey opening round of 4-under-par 67 over the 6,817-yard, par-71 Gold Course layout in the first of a scheduled double round Monday.

   Georgetown’s Will O’Neill, a senior from Morristown, N.J., did Weaver one better in the opening round, registering a sparkling 5-under 66. Then the two dueled throughout the rest of Monday and into Tuesday’s final round.

   The second round wasn’t completed until Tuesday morning and Weaver, with a 4-over 75, caught O’Neill, who finished up a 5-over 76, at even-par 142. Weaver gutted out a 1-over 72 in Tuesday’s final round for a 1-over 214 total that was one shot better than O’Neill, who closed with a 2-over 73 for a 2-over 215 total. It was the second career tournament victory for Weaver.

   It was a tremendous battle between the two as third-place finisher Will Halamandaris, a graduate student at George Mason from Annapolis, Md., was four shots behind O’Neill with a 6-over 219 total as the rest of the field had a tough time on a difficult golf course with cold and windy conditions.

   Colonial Athletic Association representative Towson outlasted Georgetown to claim the team title with a 30-over 882 total that was seven shots better than the Hoyas of the Big East.

   Georgetown, behind O’Neill’s spectacular opening round, opened with a solid 3-over 287 that was seven shots better than Towson’s 294. Despite struggling a little, the Tigers hung in there with a 300 in the second round while Georgetown cooled off with a 301 and, when the second round was finally in the books Tuesday morning, Towson trailed the Hoyas by six shots.

   Towson, however, put together its best round of the tournament, a 4-over 288, in Tuesday’s final round, which enabled the Tigers to overtake Georgetown, which closed with a second straight 301 to finish with a 37-over 889 total.

   It was another 10 shots back to Old Dominion, a Conference USA entry, in third place as the Monarchs closed with a solid 5-over 289 for a 47-over 899 total. Old Dominion had opened with a 302 before wrapping up a 308 when the second round was completed Tuesday morning.

   George Mason, out of the Atlantic 10, finished five shots behind Old Dominion in fourth place with a 52-over 904 total. After opening with a solid 14-over 298, the Patriots added back-to-back 303s in the final two rounds.

   With Weaver leading the way, Villanova, one of Georgetown’s Big East rivals, finished in fifth place, a shot behind George Mason with a 53-over 905 total. The Wildcats added a 301 in the second round to their opening-round 300 before closing with a 304.

   Longwood, out of the Big South Conference, finished two shots behind Villanova in sixth place with a 55-over 907 total. The Lancers opened with a 299 and added a 305 in the second round before closing with a 303.

   Saint Joseph’s, getting a solid showing from senior J.T. Spina, who starred scholastically at Pope John Paul II and finished in a tie for sixth place, finished in a tie for 11^th place with Penn, each landing on 82-over 934.

   The Hawks, another Atlantic 10 entry, bounced back from an opening-round 316 with a 305 in the second round before finishing up with a 313.

   The Quakers, of the Ivy League, got a nice performance from Mark Haghani, a senior from Wilson, Wyo. who finished among a trio of players tied for eighth place. Penn opened with a 312, but really struggled with a 329 in the second round before closing with a solid 9-over 293.

   Penn took a full B team to Williamsburg and the second-stringers finished just five shots between Penn’s top team and Saint Joseph’s in 13^th place with an 87-over 939 total. There were 15 teams in the field, counting the two Penn teams. Penn’s B team got better in each round as it added a 313 in the second round to its opening-round 319 before finishing up with a 307.

   Leading the way for Towson was Phil Minnehan, a freshman from Rochester, N.Y. who finished in a tie for fourth place with a 7-over 220 total. Minnehan opened with a 2-over 73 and added a 75 in the disjointed second round before closing with a solid 1-over 72.

   Backing up Minnehan for the Tigers was senior Justin Griffith, a scholastic standout at Hampton in the Pittsburgh area who finished among the group tied for 11^th place with an 11-over 224 total. Griffith was in the hunt for the individual title after matching par in the opening round with a 71 and adding a solid 2-over 73 in a second round spread over two days. He struggled to an 80 in the final round.

   Brad Freyberger, a freshman from Ashburn, Va., finished in a tie for 15^th place for Towson with a 225 total as he added a 77 in the second round to his opening-round 76 before closing with a solid 1-over 72.

   Brad Riley, a junior from Olney, Md., saved his best for last as he was the low Tiger in Tuesday’s final round -- it was the best round for the entire field -- with a 1-under 70 to finish in a tie for 20^th place with a 227 total. Riley had opened with a 3-over 74 before struggling to an 83 in the second round.

   Rounding out the Towson line up was Jeremy Summerson, a junior from Victor, N.Y. who finished among the group tied for 39^th place with a 233 total. After struggling to an 84 in the opening round, Summerson bounced back in the final two rounds with a 75 in the second round and a solid final round of 3-over 74.

   George Mason’s Halamandaris was steady in the difficult conditions as he added a 1-over 72 in the second round to his opening-round 74 before closing with a 73 to finish alone in third place, four shots behind O’Neill with a 6-over 219 total.

   Joining Towson’s Minnehan in the tie for fourth place at 7-over 220, a shot behind Halamandaris, was Old Dominion’s Jacob Henriksson, a sophomore from Sweden. Henriksson sandwiched a 74 in the second round with a pair of 2-over 73s.

   It was a strong showing by St. Joe’s Spina, a two-time PIAA Class AAA qualifier during his scholastic career at Pope John Paul II and the son of John Spina, the director of instruction at Philadelphia Cricket Club. Spina sandwiched a solid 1-over 72 in the second round with a pair of 75s to get his share of sixth place with a 9-over 222 total.

   Spina was joined at 222 by Henriksson’s Old Dominion teammate and fellow Swede, Rasmus Konradsson, a senior who opened with a solid 1-under 70, struggled in the second round with a 78 and finished up with a 3-over 74.

   Penn’s Haghani matched par in the opening round with a 71, struggled to a 79 in the second round and closed with a 2-over 73 to finish in the trio tied for eighth place with a 10-over 223 total.

   Joining Haghani in the tie for eighth place at 223 were Longwood freshman Scott Jordan, who finished in the top-10 in the PIAA Class AAA Championship in his final two scholastic seasons at Upper St. Clair in 2019 and 2020, and Fairleigh Dickinson’s Leon Heitz, a freshman from Germany.

   After struggling with a 77 in the opening round, Jordan added a solid 1-over 72 in the second round before finishing up with a 3-over 74. Heitz carded back-to-back 3-over 74s in the first two rounds before closing with a 75.

   Backing up Weaver for Villanova was Matthew Copeland, a graduate student from Maryville, Tenn. who transferred to the Main Line after playing three years at Wofford. Copeland added a 2-over 73 in the second round to his opening-round 74 before closing with a 78 to finish in a tie for 15^th place with a 225 total.

   Noah Peck, a senior from Hunt Valley, Md., finished among the group tied for 42^nd place with a 234 for the Wildcats as he added a 77 in the second round to his opening-round 79 before closing with a 78.

   Rounding out the Villanova lineup were Luke Alexander, a junior from Rochester, Minn., and Vimal Alokam, a freshman from Ypsilanti, Mich., both of whom landed among the group tied for 62^nd place, each registering a 243 total.

   Alexander bounced back from an opening-round 86 with a 5-over 76 in the second round before finishing up with an 81. Alokam struggled in the second round with an 87 after opening with an 80 before righting the ship in the final round with a 5-over 76.

   Senior Matt Davis, one of the Inter-Ac League’s top players during his scholastic career at Malvern Prep, competed as an individual for Villanova and finished alone in 53^rd place with a 238 total. Davis, a product of the junior program at Aronimink Golf Club, added a 79 in the second round to his opening-round 81 before finishing up with a 78.

   Backing up Spina for Saint Joseph’s was graduate student Wills Montgomery, who was a scholastic standout at Downingtown East. Montgomery added a 78 in the second round to his opening-round 77 before closing with a 76 that left him among the group tied for 31^st place with a 231 total.

   Jake Avery, a junior from Avon, Conn., finished in a tie for 60^th place with a 242 total as he added a 79 in the second round to his opening-round 81 before closing with an 82.

   James Gorman, a sophomore from Greenville, S.C., recovered from an opening-round 85 with a 78 in the second round before carding a final-round 80 that left him in the group tied for 62^nd place with a 243 total.

   Rounding out the St. Joe’s lineup was sophomore Kevin Smith, who led Strath Haven to the District One Class AAA team crown in 2019. Smith posted a solid 6-over 77 in the second round after an opening-round 83, but struggled again in the final round with an 87 that left him alone in 73^rd place with a 247 total.

   Backing up Haghani for Penn’s first five was John Richardson, a freshman from England, who struggled in the second round with an 88 after opening with a 77 and then posted his best round of the tournament, a 5-over 76, in the final round to end up among the group tied for 50^th place with a 237 total.

   Harrison Ornstein, a junior from Naples, Fla., finished in a tie for 56^th place with a 240 total as he added an 80 in the second round to his opening-round 79 before closing with an 81. After struggling in the first two rounds with back-to-back 85s, Carter Prince, a senior from Centerport, N.Y., turned it around in the final round with a 2-over 73 that left him among the group tied for 62^nd place with a 243 total.

   Rounding out the lineup for Penn’s top team was Anthony Basilio, a junior from Knoxville, Tenn. who finished alone in 71^st place with a 245 total. Like Prince, Basilio posted back-to-back 85s in the first two rounds before bouncing back in the final round with a 4-over 75.

   The Quakers got a solid showing from Jason Langer, a senior from Boca Raton, Fla. who led the way for Penn’s B team by finishing alone in 30^th place with a 230 total. Langer sandwiched a 3-over 74 in the second round with a pair of 78s.

   George Roessler, a freshman from North Palm Beach, Fla., struggled in the second round with an 83 after opening with a 77, but finished up with a solid 3-over 74 to end up in the group tied for 42^nd place with a 234 total.

   Andy Fan, a junior from Scarsdale, N.Y., bounced back from an opening-round 83 with a 76 in the second round and a final-round 77 as he finished among the group tied for 47^th place with a 236 total. Jimin Jung, a sophomore from Briarcliff Manor, N.Y., joined Penn teammate Ornstein in a tie for 56^th place at 240 as Jung add an 80 in the second round to his opening-round 81 before closing with a 79.

   Rounding out the lineup for Penn’s B team was Jason Fan, a senior from Hong Kong who finished in a tie for 69^th place with a 244 total as he registered back-to-back 83s in the first two rounds before improving in the final round with a 78.

   Villanova, Saint Joseph’s and Penn are in the stretch run of their regular seasons as all three schools will tee it up in conference championships in April.

   Villanova will compete in the Big East Championship, which tees off April 25 at the Callaway Resort & Gardens in Pine Mountain, Ga.

   St. Joe’s will play in the Atlantic 10 Championship, which tees off April 29 at the Reunion Resort & Golf Club’s Watson Course in Orlando, Fla.

   Penn will play in the Ivy League Championship, which tees off April 22 at Century Country Club in Purchase, N.Y., which is one of the usual sites for U.S. Open sectional qualifying each spring. It will be the first Ivy League Championship contested since 2019 as the 2020 tournament was cancelled with the onset of the coronavirus pandemic and the Ivy League continued its suspension of athletics throughout the 2020-2021 academic year in response to the ongoing pandemic.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Forsterling claims individual crown, leads host Arizona State to impressive victory in PING/ASU Invitational

    By the time I post this, play in the opening round of the 2022 Augusta National Women’s Amateur Championship at Champions Retreat Golf Club in Augusta, Ga. will be complete.

   There’s a decent chance that when the winner is crowned Saturday at Augusta National Golf Club, she will have tuned up for one of the premier events in women’s amateur golf in last week’s PING/ASU Invitational, which wrapped up Sunday at Papago Golf Club in Phoenix.

   Such was the depth of the field that Stanford’s Rose Zhang, a freshman from Irvine, Calif. and the unquestioned No. 1 player in the Women’s World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR), struggled in the final round and could do no better than finish in a tie for 10^th place.

   Hey, the kid has a pretty full plate these days and will still be considered the one to beat in the Augusta National Women’s Am. She’s still the No. 1 player on a Stanford team that is the unquestioned No. 1 team in the Golfstat rankings.

   Zhang will be joined in Augusta by four current Stanford teammates and one future teammate, Megha Ganne, the Holmdel, N.J. phenom who is No. 16 in the Women’s WAGR.

   Oh yeah, a sixth member of the current Stanford roster, Brooke Seay, a junior from San Diego and No. 66 in the Women’s WAGR, all she’ll be doing is teeing it up in the LPGA Tour’s first major championship of 2022, The Chevron Championship, which will be played one final time at the Dinah Shore Tournament Course at Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, Calif. before moving to new dates in a new town, Houston, next year.

   Can I still call it The Dinah? They can take the tournament somewhere else and call it something else, but the wonderful TV personality who helped put women’s professional golf on the map with her tournament in the California desert won’t be forgotten.

   But I digress. The PING/ASU Invitational belonged to the host Sun Devils, who moved up from No. 8 to No. 6 in the Golfstat rankings in the aftermath of their victory, as individual champion Alexandra Forsterling, a senior from Germany and No. 20 in the Women’s WAGR, led the way to an impressive 15-shot victory for Arizona State.

   After opening with an 8-under 280 over the 6,426-yard, par-72 Papago layout, Arizona State took command of the team race with a sparkling 13-under 275 in Saturday’s second round before closing with a solid 4-under 484 for a 25-under 839 total.

   There may be no hotter team in women’s college golf than No. 2 Oregon and the Ducks cooled off only a little in earning runnerup honors in the PING/ASU Invitational. Oregon came to Phoenix on the heels of back-to-back team wins in the Florida State Match Up at Seminole Legacy Golf Club in Tallahassee, Fla. and the Northrop Grumann Challenge at Palos Verdes Golf Club in Palos Verdes Estates, Calif.

   Oregon posted back-to-back 2-under 286s in the first two rounds at Papago before closing with a 6-under 282 to finish 15 shots behind Arizona State with a 10-under 854 total.

   After winning all four tournaments in which it participated in the fall, Stanford has come back to earth a little this spring, but the Cardinal were still good enough to get a share of third place in the PING/ASU Invitational with the No. 10 Baylor, out of the Big 12, each landing on 2-under 862.

   The postseason is on the horizon. Oregon will play the host in what is always a hotly-contested Pac-12 Championship, which tees off April 18 at Eugene Country Club.

   None of the top Pac-12 teams will concede a thing to Stanford, no matter how many of the Cardinal are teeing it up in the Augusta National Women’s Am or how high they are in the Women’s WAGR.

   Stanford was 19 shots behind pace-setting Arizona State after adding a 1-over 289 in Saturday’s second round to its opening round of 3-under 285. But Stanford could only match par in Sunday’s final round with a 288.

   Baylor was tied for second place with Oregon going into Sunday’s final round after the Bears matched the Ducks with back-to-back 2-under 286s in the first two rounds that left them 17 shots behind Arizona State. Baylor closed with a 2-over 290 to join Stanford at 2-under 862.

   Another perennial Pac-12 power, No. 15 UCLA, was a shot behind Stanford and Baylor in a tie for fifth place with Big Ten power Northwestern, typically underrated at this time of the year at No. 45, at 1-under 863.

   The Bruins, behind Emma Spitz, a junior from Austria and No. 7 in the Women’s WAGR, added a 1-over 289 to their opening-round 291 before finishing up with a solid 5-under 283.

   Spitz finished in a tie for second place in the individual chase with another Arizona State entry, Ashley Menne, a sophomore from Surprise, Ariz. and No. 74 in the Women’s WAGR, as they finished two shots behind Menne’s teammate Forsterling, each landing on 7-under 209.

   Northwestern was right around par all weekend, the Wildcats opening with a 2-under 286 and adding a 2-over 290 in Saturday’s second round before finishing up with a 1-under 287.

   No. 36 Oregon State, another Pac-12 representative, finished three shots behind UCLA and Northwestern in seventh place in the 16-team field with a 2-over 866 total. After opening with a 294, the Beavers registered a 3-under 285 in Saturday’s second round before closing with a 1-under 287.

   Forsterling took command of the individual chase right from the start as she opened with a sizzling 6-under 66 that featured seven birdies against a lone bogey, matching the low round of the tournament. Forsterling added a 1-under 71 in Saturday’s second round that left her a shot behind her teammate, Menne, in the individual standings going into Sunday’s final round.

   But Forsterling was rock solid in the final round, closing with a three-birdie, one-bogey 2-under 70 for a 9-under 207 total.

   After opening with a 69, Menne carded a sparkling 5-under 67 to take the lead after two rounds. She finished up with a 1-over 73 to join UCLA’s Spitz in the tie for second at 7-under 209 and giving Arizona State a 1-2 finish in its home event.

   Menne finished in fourth place in the individual chase in last spring’s NCAA Championship at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Ariz., all of about six miles from the Arizona State campus, helping the Sun Devils reach the match-play bracket before falling to Duke in the quarterfinals.

   Backing up the top two for the Sun Devils was Calynne Rosholt, a freshman from Cedar Rapids, Texas who gave Arizona State a third finisher inside the top 10 as she ended up as part of a fivesome tied for 10^th place with a 3-under 213 total. After struggling to a 76 in the opening round, Rosholt contributed a 3-under 69 to Arizona State’s second-round surge and was the low Sun Devil in the final round with a 4-under 68.

   Rounding out the Arizona State lineup were Alessandra Fanali, a senior from Italy, and Grace Summerhays, a freshman from the golfing Summerhays family of Scottsdale, Ariz., both of whom landed among the group tied for 24^th place at 1-over 217.

   Fanali struggled a little in the opening round with a 74, but bounced back with a 4-under 68 in Saturday’s second round before closing with a 75. After opening with a solid 1-under 71, Summerhays carded back-to-back 1-over 73s. Her first and final rounds were both counters for the Sun Devils.

   UCLA’s Spitz was in that six-player logjam tied for third place in last year’s Augusta National Women’s Amateur, two shots behind playoff participants Tsubasa Kajitani, the eventual champion, and Emilia Migliaccio. Spitz went on to finish second to Stanford’s Rachel Heck in the NCAA Championship’s individual chase at Grayhawk.

   Spitz appears to be finding her stride at the best possible time as she added back-to-back 3-under 69s in the last two rounds to the 71 she posted in the opening round as she shared second place with Arizona State’s Menne with a 7-under 209 total.

   Stanford’s Aline Krauter, a senior from Germany and No. 29 in the Women’s WAGR, was a shot behind Menne and Spitz in fourth place with a 6-under 210 total. Krauter, winner of The Women’s Amateur Championship in 2020 at West Lancashire, registered back-to-back 1-under 71s in the first two rounds before closing with a 4-under 68.

   Oregon’s Briana Chacon, a junior from Whittier, Calif. and No. 92 in the Women’s WAGR, headed a group of three players tied for fifth place at 5-under 211.

   After opening with a 3-under 69, Chacon matched par in Saturday’s second round with a 72 before finishing up with a 2-under 70. Chacon teed off with Forsterling, Menne, Spitz and Krauter, all top-five finishers at Papago, in Wednesday’s opening round of the Augusta National Women’s Am at Champions Retreat.

   Joining Chacon in the trio tied for fifth place were Northwestern’s Kelly Sim, a senior from Edgewater, N.J., and Baylor’s Gurleen Kaur, a fifth-year player from Houston and No. 81 in the Women’s WAGR.

   After matching par in the opening round with a 72, Sim carded a 2-under 70 in Saturday’s second round before closing with a 3-under 69. After opening with a 74, Kaur’s explosiveness was on display as she matched the low round of the tournament with a 6-under 66 in Saturday’s second round before she finished up with a 1-under 71.

   Chacon’s Oregon teammate, Sofie Kibsgaard Nielsen, a junior from Denmark, and New Mexico’s Napat (Jenny) Lertsadwattana, a junior from Thailand, finished in a tie for eighth place, each landing on 4-under 212.

   After struggling a little in an opening-round 74, Kibsgaard Nielsen posted back-to-back 3-under 69s. Lertsadwattana was just a shot behind Forsterling following an opening round of 5-under 67 before cooling off a little with back-to-back 1-over 73s.

   Heading the foursome that joined Arizona State’s Rosholt in the group tied for 10^th place at 3-under 213 was Stanford’s Zhang. The winner of the 2020 U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship at Woodmont Country Club in Rockville, Md. and last summer’s U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship at Columbia Country Club in Chevy Chase, Md., Zhang was just a shot behind Forsterling going into the final round of PING/ASU Invitational after adding a 3-under 69 in Saturday’s second round to her opening-round 70. Zhang backed off in the final round with a 2-over 74.

   Rounding out the group tied for 10^th place at 213 were UCLA’s Emilie Paltrinieri, a junior from Italy who was competing as an individual, Sim’s Northwestern teammate, Jennifer Cai, a sophomore from Irvine, Calif., and Michigan’s Ashley Lau, a senior from Malaysia.

   Paltrinieri made a pretty strong case for a return to the first five for UCLA as she opened with a 3-under 69 and struggled a little in Saturday’s second round with a 74 before closing with a solid 2-under 70. Cai matched Patrinieri’s opening-round 69 and added a 73 in Saturday’s second round before finishing up with a 1-under 71.

   Lau struggled a little in the opening round with a 73, but bounced back with a 4-under 68 in Saturday’s second round before matching par in the final round with a 72.

   Lau is in the field with Zhang in Wednesday’s opening round of the Augusta National Women’s Amateur at Champions Retreat. Zhang was part of that group of six players, along with UCLA’s Spitz, tied for third place a year ago at Augusta National.

   In addition to Zhang, Krauter and future Cardinal Ganne, Stanford is represented in the Augusta National Women’s Amateur by Caroline Sturdza, a freshman from Switzerland and No. 64 in the Women’s WAGR, Heck, the reigning NCAA individual champion who is a sophomore from Memphis, Tenn. and No. 3 in the Women’s WAGR, and Angelina Ye, a junior from China and No. 40 in the Women’s WAGR.

   Sturdza finished in a tie for 43^rd place at Papago with a 5-over 221 total while Heck struggled, finishing in a tie for 56^th at 227.

   Zhang, by the way, has a guaranteed spot on the U.S. team for the Curtis Cup Match against a team from Great Britain & Ireland, which tees off in 72 days at Merion Golf Club’s iconic East Course in the Ardmore section of Haverford Township. If Heck maintains her lofty status in the Women’s WAGR, you’ll also see her wearing the Stars & Stripes at Merion.

   Zhang and Heck were key contributors on the U.S. team that rallied from a Day 1 deficit to claim a 12.5-7.5 victory over GB&I in last summer’s 41^st Curtis Cup Match at Conwy Golf Club in Caernarvonshire, Wales.

   Ye, who finished fourth in the individual chase in the NCAA Championship at Grayhawk last spring, is having a hard time making the starting lineup for Stanford this spring. That’s how good Margot & Mitch Milias director of women’s golf Anne Walker’s team is.

   The fifth starter for Stanford in the PING/ASU Invitational was Sadie Englemann, a sophomore from Austin, Texas who finished alone in 48^th place with a 6-over 222 total.

   Atlantic Coast Conference power Virginia, which saw its ranking drop from No. 7 to No. 8 in the aftermath of the PING/ASU Invitational, wasn’t at its best at Papago, finishing in eighth place with a 17-over 881 total.

   Sophomore Jennifer Cleary, a Tower Hill School product and the reigning Pennsylvania Women’s Amateur champion, finished in a tie for 33^rd place with a 3-over 219 total. After opening with a solid 1-under 71, Cleary registered back-to-back 2-over 74s in the final two rounds.

   It was the final stroke-play event of the regular season for Cleary and the Cavaliers before they compete in the ACC Championship, which tees off April 14 at The Reserve Golf Club on Pawleys Island, S.C.