Ma, Harvard stay hot by taking individual and team titles in the Princeton Invitational

   It couldn’t have been a much better week for Harvard heading into the Ivy League Championship, which tees off April 21 at The Stanwich Club in Greenwich, Conn.

   Coming off an impressive 16-shot victory over the tournament host in the Columbia Spring Invitational, a one-day shootout last Monday at Rolling Green Golf Club, the William Flynn gem in Springfield, Delaware County, the Crimson capped the Easter weekend by outlasting another field filled with Ivy League contenders to claim the team crown in the Princeton Invitational, which wrapped up Sunday at Springdale Golf Club in Princeton, N.J.

   Once again, Harvard was led by Brian Ma, a junior from Milpitas, Calif. who backed up his four-shot victory at Rolling Green by again cruising to the individual crown in the Princeton Invitational, finishing two shots clear of a pair of Yale teammates.

   It was a chilly start to Saturday’s double round, but Princeton Invitational competitors certainly drew better weather conditions than the best players in the world had for the completion of Round 2 of The Masters in Augusta, Ga.

   Ma, picking right up where he left off at Rolling Green, blitzed the 6,444-yard, par-71 Springdale layout with a 5-under 66 in the opening round and a 4-under 67 in Saturday afternoon’s second round to build a two-shot lead in the individual chase going into Sunday’s final round.

   Ma matched par in the Easter Sunday windup with a 71 for a 9-under 204 total to claim his second straight individual title.

   Ma’s heroics helped the Crimson open with a 2-under 282 and then add the best team round of the weekend, an 11-under 273, in Saturday afternoon’s second round with Jeffrey Fang, a sophomore from Canada, contributing a sizzling 6-under 65 for Harvard.

   The Crimson closed with another 2-under 282 for a 15-under 837 total.

   Reigning Ivy League champion Yale, with Gabriel Ruiz, a junior from Mexico, and Robert You, a sophomore from Pebble Beach, Calif., sharing runnerup honors in the individual standings, finished four shots behind Harvard in second place with an 11-under 841 total.

   The Bulldogs opened with a 2-over 286 and added a 4-under 280 in Saturday afternoon’s second round before closing strongly with a sparkling 9-under 275.

   Ruiz carded a pair of solid 1-under 70s in Saturday’s double round before closing with a sparkling 5-under 66 to share second place with his teammate, You, with a 7-under 206 total that left them two shots behind Ma’s blistering pace.

   You, coming off a tie for eighth place at Rolling Green, struggled a little in the opening round with a 2-over 73 before coming on strong with a 5-under 66 in Saturday afternoon’s second and a 4-under 67 in Sunday’s final round to join Ruiz at 7-under.

   Host Princeton was Harvard’s closest pursuer going into Sunday’s final round as the Tigers added a solid 5-under 279 to their opening round of 2-under 282 to leave them five shots behind the front-running Crimson. Princeton closed with a 1-over 285 to finish five shots behind Yale in third place with a 6-under 846 total.

   Rider, out of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, was another four shots behind Princeton in fourth place with a 2-under 850 total as the Broncs added a 1-over 285 in Saturday afternoon’s second round to their opening round of 1-under 283 before closing with a 2-under 282.

   Big East representative Seton Hall finished two shots behind Rider in fifth place with an even-par 852 total. After matching par in the opening round with a 284, the Pirates added a 4-under 280 in Saturday afternoon’s second round before finishing up with a 4-over 288.

   Two more Ivy League entries, Penn, one of three City 6 teams in the field, and Columbia shared sixth place, each landing on 4-over 856, four shots behind Seton Hall.

   The Quakers got it going in Saturday afternoon’s second round with a solid 5-under 279 after opening with a 5-over 289 before finishing up with a 4-over 288. After matching par in the opening round with a 284, the Lions posted a 2-under 282 in Saturday afternoon’s second round before closing a 6-over 290.

   After struggling in the opening round with a 10-over 294, Temple, out of the American Athletic Conference, added a solid 2-under 282 in Saturday afternoon’s second round. But the Owls couldn’t maintain their momentum, closing with a 296 that left them in 11^th place with a 20-over 872 total.

   Atlantic 10 representative Saint Joseph’s finished in 13^th place in the 14-team field with a 29-over 881 total as the Hawks added a 5-over 289 in Saturday afternoon’s second round to their opening round of 7-over 291 before struggling to a 301 in Sunday’s final round.

   Backing up Ma for Harvard was Diego Saavedra-Davila, a sophomore from Puerto Rico who finished among a trio of players tied for seventh place at 4-under 209. After opening with a 2-under 69, Saavedra-Davila posted back-to-back 1-under 70s in the final two rounds.

   It was a strong showing for senior Brian Isztwan, the former Penn Charter standout who I spotlighted in my post on the Columbia Spring Invitational. Isztwan, winner of the R. Jay Sigel Match Play, a Pennsylvania Golf Association (PAGA) major championship, on his home course at Huntingdon Valley Country Club last summer, finished alone in 14^th place with a 2-under 211 total.

   Isztwan matched par in Saturday afternoon’s second round with a 71 after opening with a 1-over 72 before closing with Harvard’s low round in Sunday’s final round, a 3-under 68. It would be pretty cool to see Isztwan close out his college career at Harvard with an Ivy League championship later this month at The Stanwich Club and a trip to the NCAA regionals.

   Fang had opened with a 4-over 75 before going off with his 6-under 65 in Saturday afternoon’s second round. He closed with a 3-over 74 to finish among the group tied for 25^th place with a 1-over 214 total.

   Rounding out the Harvard lineup was Kevin Sze, a junior from Saratoga, Calif. who finished in the group tied for 55^th place with an 8-over 221 total as he added a pair of 2-over 73s in the final two rounds after opening with a 4-over 75.

   Dartmouth’s Mark Turner, a fifth-year player from Gloucester, Mass., and Columbia’s Nathan Han, a junior from Somers, N.Y., finished in a tie for fourth place, each landing on 6-under 207, a shot behind the Yale pair of Ruiz and You.

   After opening with a 1-over 72, Turner carded solid rounds of 3-under 68 in Saturday afternoon’s second and 4-under 67 in Sunday’s final round. Han added a 3-under 68 in Saturday afternoon’s second round to his opening round of 2-under 69 before closing with a 1-under 70.

   Howard’s Everett Whiten Jr., a senior from Chesapeake, Va., finished alone in sixth place with a 5-under 208 total as he sandwiched a 3-under 68 in Saturday afternoon’s second round with a pair of 1-under 70s.

   Joining Harvard’s Saavedra-Davila in the trio tied for seventh place at 4-under 209 were host Princeton’s Jackson Fretty, a junior from Cos Cob, Conn., and Han’s Columbia teammate, Wyatt McGovern, a sophomore from Hillsborough, Calif.

   Fretty sandwiched a 2-under 69 in Saturday afternoon’s second round with a pair of 1-under 70s. McGovern unleashed an opening salvo of 7-under 64, the best individual round of the weekend, before matching par in Saturday afternoon’s second round with a 71 that left him in a tie for second place, two shots behind Ma. McGovern closed with a 3-over 74.

   The Rider pair of Connor Bekefi, a senior from Toms River, N.J., and Louie Giovacchini, a sophomore from Windermere, Fla., headed a group of four players tied for 10^th place at 3-under 210. Bekefi and Giovacchini were steady at Springdale, each recording three straight 1-under 70s.

   Fretty’s Princeton teammate, Riccardo Fantinelli, a freshman from Italy, was also in the group at 3-under as he added a pair of 2-under 69s in the final two rounds to his opening round of 1-over 72.

   Rounding out the quartet at 3-under was Seton Hall’s George Fricker, a sophomore from England who was tied with McGovern for second place after Saturday’s double round as he added a 3-under 68 in the afternoon to his opening round of 4-under 67 before cooling off in Sunday’s final round with a 4-over 75.

   Leading the way for Penn was Jimin Jung, a junior from Briarcliff Manor, N.Y. who finished in the group tied for 15^th place at 1-under 212 as he added a 3-under 68 in Saturday afternoon’s second round to his opening round of 2-over 73 before matching par in Sunday’s final round with a 71.

   Ben Scott, a sophomore from Manhattan Beach, Calif., backed up Jung for the Quakers as he finished among the group tied for 31^st place with a 3-over 216 total. Scott opened with a solid 1-under 70 and added a 1-over 72 in Saturday afternoon’s second round before closing with a 3-over 74.

   John Richardson, a sophomore from England, finished another shot behind Scott in the group tied for 34^th place with a 4-over 217 total. After matching par in the opening round with a 71, Richardson posted a 1-under 70 in Saturday afternoon’s second round before struggling a little in the final round with a 5-over 76.

   George Roessler, a sophomore from North Palm Beach, Fla., was a shot behind Richardson in the group tied for 39^th place with a 5-over 218 total as Roessler bounced back from an opening round of 6-over 77 with a solid 2-under 69 in Saturday afternoon’s second round before closing with a 1-over 72.

   Rounding out the Penn lineup was the Quakers’ veteran senior, George Haghani of Wilson, Wyo. as he was a shot behind Roessler in the group tied for 42^nd place with a 6-over 219 total. Haghani added a 2-over 73 in Saturday afternoon’s second round to his opening round of 4-over 75 before matching par in Sunday’s final round with a 71.

   Anthony Basilio, a senior from Knoxville, Tenn., competed as an individual for Penn at Springdale and finished among the group tied for 49^th place with a 7-over 220 total. Basilio opened with a solid 2-under 69 and added a 2-over 73 in Saturday afternoon’s second round before struggling a little in a 7-over 78 in Sunday’s final round.

   Leading the Temple contingent was Graham Chase, a junior from Charlotte, N.C. who finished in the group tied for 25^th place at 1-over 214. Chase added a solid 2-under 69 in Saturday afternoon’s second round to his opening round of 2-over 73 before closing with a 1-over 72.

   Ethan Whitney, a sophomore from Westminster, Mass., backed up Chase by finishing alone in 30^th place with a 2-over 215 total. After opening with a solid 1-under 70, Whitney carded a 1-over 72 in Saturday afternoon’s second round before finishing up with a 2-over 73.

   Temple’s senior leader Conor McGrath, winner of the 2021 BMW Philadelphia Amateur Championship at Cedarbrook Country Club, finished a shot behind Whitney in the group tied for 31^st place with a 3-over 216 total as he sandwiched a solid 3-under 68 in Saturday afternoon’s second round with a pair of 3-over 74s.

   Junior Andrew Curran, winner of the Bert Linton Inter-Ac League individual championship as a senior at Malvern Prep in 2018, finished in a tie for 73^rd place with a 230 total as he added a 4-over 75 in Saturday afternoon’s second round to his opening round of 6-over 77 before closing with a 78.

   Rounding out the Temple lineup was Andres Aranguren, a redshirt sophomore from Puerto Rico who finished alone in 75^th place with a 237 total. Aranguren struggled in the opening round with an 87, but bounced back with a 2-over 73 in Saturday afternoon’s second round before finishing up with a 77.

   Temple will tee it up at Penn State this weekend in the Rutherford Intercollegiate, the Owls’ final tuneup before The American Championship tees off April 21 at the Pelican Golf Club in Belleair, Fla.

   Leading the way for Saint Joseph’s was fifth-year player J.T. Spina, a two-time PIAA Class AAA qualifier at Pope John Paul II who delivered a solid showing at Springdale, finishing in the group tied for 15^th place with a 1-under 212 total.

   Spina was 4-under entering Sunday’s final round as he added a 3-under 68 in Saturday afternoon’s second round to his opening round of 1-under 70 before closing with a 3-over 74.

   Two freshmen, Christian Matt, a two-time PIAA Class AAA qualifier at Wissahickon, and Matt Zerfass, a three-time PIAA Class AAA qualifier at Emmaus, were next for the Hawks as Matt finished in the group tied for 42^nd place at 6-over 219 and Zerfass ended up in the group tied for 49^th place at 7-over 220.

   Matt registered a pair of 1-over 72s in Saturday’s double round before closing with a 4-over 75. Zerfass, coming off a tie for fifth place in the Columbia Spring Invitational at Rolling Green, added a 2-over 73 in Saturday afternoon’s second round to his opening-round 75, before finishing up with his best round of the weekend, a 1-over 72.

   Junior Steve Lorenzo, a PIAA Class AAA qualifier as a junior at Catholic League power La Salle in 2018, finished in a tie for 73^rd place with a 230 total. Lorenzo opened with his best round of the weekend, a 3-over 74, and added a 76 in Saturday afternoon’s second round before struggling to an 80 in the final round.

   Rounding out the St. Joe’s lineup was Coley Hunter, a senior from Rockville, Md. who finished alone in 76^th place with a 241 total as he added a 7-over 78 in Saturday afternoon’s second round to his opening-round 79 before struggling to an 84 in the final round.

   St. Joe’s will close out its regular season in next week’s Abarta Coca-Cola Collegiate Invitational hosted by Lafayette at Northampton Country Club in Easton, the final tuneup for the Hawks before the A-10 Championship tees off April 28 at the Reunion Resort & Golf Club's Watson Course in Kissimmee, Fla.

   There were a couple of familiar names teeing it up for Cornell in the Princeton Invitational.

   Senior Noah Schwartz, a teammate of Isztwan’s at Penn Charter and my bag in qualifying for match play in the 2019 Philly Am at Stonewall, finished among the group tied for 55^th place at 8-over 221 for the Big Red. Schwartz matched par in Saturday afternoon’s second round with a 71 after opening with a 3-over 74 and closed with a 76.

   Sophomore Jackson Debusschere, who helped Strath Haven capture Central League and District One Class AAA team titles as a junior in 2019, competed as an individual for Cornell and had a nice showing, finishing in a tie for 39^th place with a 5-over 218 total. After matching par with a 71 in the opening round, Debusschere added a 2-over 73 in Saturday afternoon’s second round before closing with a 74.