Individual champion Eichhorn leads Marquette to team crown in Villanova Spring Invitational at Radnor Valley

    Marquette, behind individual champion Hunter Eichhorn, a graduate student from Carney, Mich., was the runaway winner of the Villanova Spring Invitational, which wrapped up Tuesday at Radnor Valley Country Club, a few miles down Route 320 from the Villanova campus in Radnor Township.

   The Villanova Spring Invitational has always been notorious for some bad spring weather, especially when it used to be scheduled a couple of weeks earlier in the spring. But the event was still unable to dodge some tough conditions.

   Overnight rains between Monday’s opening round and Tuesday’s final round undoubtedly left the 6,457-yard, par-70 Radnor Valley layout soggy. When the rain finally cleared, it was followed by dropping temperatures and gusty, chilly winds. Wet, cold and windy are the kind of conditions college golfers grow accustomed to.

   Eichhorn, a co-medalist in last spring’s Big East Championship at the Streamsong Resort’s Blue Course in central Florida, opened with a 2-under 68 that left him a shot behind Lehigh junior David Hurly, a member of Inter-Ac League championship teams at The Haverford School in 2017 and 2018, in the individual standings.

   Eichhorn’s solid start helped the Golden Eagles grab the lead in the team chase with a 1-over 281 total.

   Eichhorn then added a 1-under 69 in Tuesday’s difficult conditions to claim the individual title by a shot with a 3-under 137 total. Marquette again had the best team round of the day, a solid 5-over 285 that gave the Golden Eagles, the runnerup to Connecticut in the team standings in last spring’s Big East Championship at Streamsong, a 6-over 566 total and a 16-shot margin of victory over runnerup Long Island.

   The Sharks, playing out of the Northeast Conference, carded back-to-back 11-over 291s for a 22-over 582 total.

   St. John’s, out of the Big East, and Rider, out of the Mid-American Conference, shared third place as each landed on 25-over 585, three shots behind Long Island.

   The Red Storm was Big East rival Marquette’s closest pursuer following Monday’s opening round after they registered a solid 5-over 285. But St. John’s struggled to a 306 in Tuesday’s second round. The Broncs were solid in Tuesday’s tough conditions as they added a 9-over 289 to their opening-round 296 to get a share of third place.

   Patriot League rivals Bucknell and Lafayette accounted for the next two spots in the team standings with the Bison taking fifth place with a 27-over 587 total and the Leopards finishing in sixth place with a 29-over 589 total.

   Bucknell added a 295 to its opening-round 292 while Lafayette opened with a 294 before finishing up with a 295.

   William & Mary, out of the Colonial Athletic Association, finished a shot behind Lafayette with a 30-over 590 total as the Tribe added a 298 in Tuesday’s final round to their opening-round 292.

   Host Villanova’s A team, a Big East rival of Marquette and St. John’s, took eighth place, the Wildcats adding a 296 in Tuesday’s final round with their opening-round 297 for a 33-over 593 total.

   Villanova head coach Jim Wilkes took advantage of playing the host by entering a B team and Villanova’s second team finished last of the 15 teams with a 629 total, adding a 319 in Tuesday’s final round to its opening-round 310.

    Wilkes will have to decide his starting lineup for the Big East Championship as the Wildcats, Marquette and St. John’s will tee it up in the opening round Monday at Callaway Gardens’ Mountainview Course in Pine Mountain, Ga.

   Delaware, William & Mary’s CAA rival, finished in a tie for ninth place with Colgate at 35-over 595 as the Blue Hens opened with a 12-over 292, but struggled in Tuesday’s final round with a 309.

   La Salle, out of the Atlantic 10, shared 12^th place with Lehigh at 43-over 603 as the Explorers added a 305 in Tuesday’s final round to their opening-round 298.

   La Salle’s Atlantic 10 rival Saint Joseph’s finished five shots behind the Explorers in 14^th place with a 48-over 608 total as the Hawks added a 308 in Tuesday’s final round to their opening-round 300.

   La Salle and St. Joe’s will tee it up in the Atlantic 10 Championship, which opens April 29 at the Reunion Resort & Golf Club in Orlando, Fla.

   Backing up Eichhorn for Marquette was Tyler Leach, a redshirt junior from Spring Valley, Wis. who finished alone in third place, one of three players to finish under par at Radnor Valley with a 1-under 139 total. After opening with a 1-under 69, Leach matched par in Tuesday’s final round with a 70.

   Max Lyons, a freshman from Phoenix, Ariz., gave Marquette three finishers among the top six as he shared sixth place with Lehigh’s Hurly with a 4-over 144 total. After opening with a solid 1-over 71, Leach added a 73 in Tuesday’s final round.

   Josh Robinson, a redshirt sophomore from Northern Ireland, finished among the group tied for 20^th place for the Golden Eagles with a 7-over 147 total. Robinson added a 3-over 73 in Tuesday’s final round to his opening-round 74.

   Rounding out the Marquette lineup was Nicolas Evangelio, a redshirt junior from Spain who finished in the group tied for 51^st place with a 153 total. Evangelio carded a counting 73 in the opening round before struggling to an 80 in Tuesday’s final round.

   Delaware’s Sparky Ariyachatvakin, a sophomore from Thailand, was tied for second place following Monday’s opening round as he matched Eichorn’s 2-under 68. Ariyachatvakin then matched par in Tuesday’s second round with a 70 to earn runnterup honors with a 2-under 138 total.

   Rider freshman Jack Urban, a PIAA Class AAA qualifier in 2020 as a senior at Upper St. Clair, finished alone in fourth place in the individual standings, three shots behind Marquette’s Leach with a 2-over 242 total. After opening with a 73, Urban closed with a solid 1-under 69 in Tuesday’s tough conditions.

   Long Island’s Lukas Gabura, a freshman from Slovakia, added a 72 in Tuesday’s second round after opening with a 1-over 71 to finish a shot behind Urban in fifth place with a 3-over 143 total.

   Hurly had grabbed the lead with his sparkling 3-under 67 in Monday’s opening round, the best round of the tournament. He struggled to a 77 in Tuesday’s final round, but still joined Marquette’s Lyons in a tie for sixth place with a 4-over 144 total.

   Heading a group of nine players tied for eighth place at 5-over 145 was Lafayette senior Ryan Tall, a former Conestoga standout and winner of the Golf Association of Philadelphia’s Junior Boys’ Championship in 2018 at Blue Bell Country Club. Tall bounced back from an opening-round 76 with a solid 1-under 69 in the wet, cold and windy final round.

   Also in the group at 5-over was Villanova’s top finisher, Peter Weaver, a sophomore from Frontenac, Mo. who added a 73 to his opening round of 2-over 72.

   Delaware’s Egor Zobov, a freshman from Russia who was competing as an individual, had the same splits as Weaver, adding a 73 to his opening round of 2-over 72 to join the group at 5-over 145.

   Two other players in the large group at 145, William & Mary’s Matthew Feinstein, a senior from McLean, Va., and Colgate’s Jack Maguire, a junior from Ridgfield, Conn., also had a 72-73 split.

   Rounding out the group that finished at 5-over were Bucknell’s Blake Wisdom, a junior from Lake Geneva, Wis., St. John’s Gage Wolfle, a junior from Sewell, N.J., Long Island’s Kyle Underwood, a redshirt junior from Australia, and Rider’s Rick Van Der Nat, a junior from The Netherlands.

   Wisdom added a 2-over 72 in Tuesday’s final round to his opening-round 73 and Wolfle opened with a solid 1-over 71 before finishing up with a 74. Underwood and Van Der Nat had identical splits, each matching par in Monday’s opening round with a 70 and then adding a 75 in Tuesday’s final round.

   Backing up Weaver for Villanova’s A team was Noah Peck, a senior from Hunt Valley, Md. who added a 2-over 72 in Tuesday’s final round to his opening-round 75 for a 147 total that left him among the group tied for 20^th place.

   Senior Matt Davis, one of the Inter-Ac’s top players during a standout four-year career at Malvern Prep, finished in the group tied for 35^th place with a 150 total as he added a 76 in Tuesday’s final round to his opening round of 4-over 74.

   Matthew Copeland, a graduate student from Maryville, Tenn., was another shot behind Davis in the group tied for 40^th place with an 11-over 151 total as he added a 5-over 75 in Tuesday’s final round to his opening-round 76.

   Rounding out Villanova’s A team lineup was Luke Alexander, a junior from Rochester, Minn. who finished alone in 72^nd place with a 158 total as he carded a pair of 79s.

   Leading the way for Villanova’s B team was Vimal Alokam, a freshman from Ypsilanti, Mich. who carded a pair of 77s to finish among the group tied for 56^th place with a 154 total.

   Jack O’Hara, a junior from Loudonville, N.Y. added an 80 in Tuesday’s second round to his opening-round 77 as he ended up in the group tied for 69^th place with a 157 total. Jonathan Elkins, a sophomore from South Deerfield, Mass., added an 80 in Tuesday’s final round to his opening-round 79 to finish alone in 73^rd place with a 159 total.

   Matt Minerva, a junior from Elmsford, N.Y., added an 82 in Tuesday’s second round to his opening-round 78 to finish alone in 74^th place at 160. Rounding out the Villanova B team lineup was senior Danny Dougherty, a Tower Hill product who opened with a 78, but struggled to an 85 in the difficult conditions in Tuesday’s final round for a 163 total that left him alone in 77^th place.

   Backing up Ariyachatvakin for Delaware was Roberto Nieves, a senior from Miami, Fla. who finished among the group tied for 40^th place with an 11-over 151 total as he added a 75 in Tuesday’s final round to his opening-round 76.

   Michal Bargenda, a junior from Poland, opened with a 73 before struggling to a 79 in Tuesday’s final round as he ended up among the group tied for 47^th place with a 152 total.

   Jack Halleron, a sophomore from Timonium, Md., added a 79 in Tuesday’s final round to his opening-round 75 to finish in the group tied for 56^th place with a 154 total. Rounding out the Delaware lineup was Hugo Kedzlie, a junior from England who struggled to an 85 in Tuesday’s final round after opening with a 76 as he ended up tied for 75^th place with a 161 total.

   Leading the way for La Salle was Logan Flores, a redshirt freshman from St. Augustine, Fla. who posted a pair of 4-over 74s to land among the group tied for 25^th place with an 8-over 148 total. Junior Karsen Rush, who was a PIAA Class AAA qualifier as a junior at Chambersburg in 2017, finished in the group tied for 40^th place with a 151 total as he added a 75 in Tuesday’s final round to his opening-round 76.

   Junior Nikita Romanov, a scholastic standout at Mount Pleasant who was a regular on Philadelphia Section PGA Junior Tour leaderboards as a junior player, opened with a solid 2-over 72, but struggled to an 81 in Tuesday’s final round as he finished in the group tied for 51^st place with a 153 total.

   Matthew Werner, a senior from West Linn, Ore., added a 78 in Tuesday’s final round to his opening-round 76 as he finished among the group tied for 56^th place with a 154 total. Rounding out the La Salle lineup was Kristian Fortis, a junior from Key Largo, Fla. who finished in a tie for 75^th place with a 161 total as he shaved five shots off his opening-round 83 with a 78 in Tuesday’s final round.

   Leading the way for Saint Joseph’s was senior J.T. Spina, who was a two-time PIAA Class AAA qualifier during a standout scholastic career at Pope John Paul II. Spina, who has been solid all spring for the Hawks, carded a 3-over 73 in Tuesday’s final round after opening with a 76 to end up among the group tied for 28^th place with a 9-over 149 total.

   Graduate student Wills Montgomery, a PIAA Class AAA qualifier as a senior at Downingtown East in 2016, opened with a solid 3-over 73 before adding a 77 in Tuesday’s final round as he ended up in the group tied for 35^th place with a 150 total.

   Jake Avery, a junior from Avon, Conn., added a 78 in Tuesday’s final round to his opening-round 74 to finish among the group tied for 47^th place with a 152 total. Sophomore Steve Lorenzo, a PIAA Class AAA qualifier in 2018 as a junior at La Salle, finished in the group tied for 69^th place as he added an 80 in Tuesday’s final round to his opening-round 77.

   Rounding out the St. Joe’s lineup was James Gorman, a sophomore from Greenville, S.C. who added an 81 in Tuesday’s final round to his opening-round 84 to finish alone in 78^th place with a 165 total.