Nicholas helps Drexel repeat as winner of Temple Invitational at The 1912 Club

 

   For the second straight year, Drexel came out on top in the Temple Invitational, which wrapped up Sept. 22^nd in perfect weather as summer was giving way to fall at The 1912 Club in Plymouth Meeting.

   The Dragons came on strong on the second day with a 7-over-par 291 for a 13-over 581 total, two shots better than their West Philadelphia neighbor Penn.

   Checking around the websites, I got conflicting reports on the par for The 1912 Club and getting only scores in relation to par in the Scoreboard powered by clippd results didn’t allow me to resolve that conflict. So, the raw numbers you’ll get in this post are based on a par of 71.

   Either way, Drexel, a Coastal Athletic Association representative, got the ball in the hole in fewer strokes than anyone else in the field. It was Drexel’s eighth tournament title since the beginning of the wraparound 2023-’24 season.

   I’m a little late with this, but with five of the six Big 5 schools involved and lots of Philadelphia area players for the other schools in the field, there was just too many familiar names to not take a deep dive into the Temple Invitational.

   Drexel was led by Drue Nicholas, a graduate student from Egg Harbor Township, N.J. who shared first place with La Salle’s Benjamin Battye, a junior from Torrance, Calif. Looks like the tie was resolved in Battye’s favor, just not sure if it was by a playoff or a tiebreaker.

   Nicholas had a share of the lead with a sparkling opening round of 4-under 67 before adding a 4-over 75 in the second round for an even-par 142 total. Battye opened with a 1-under 70 and added a 1-over 72 in the second round to join Nicholas at even-par 142 on his way to the victory.

   Penn, an Ivy League entry, had the best team score of the second round, a solid 3-over 287, as the Quakers finished just two shots behind Drexel with a 15-over 583 total. Penn had opened with a 12-over 296.

   La Salle, behind Battye, finished nine shots behind Penn in third place with a 24-over 592 total. The Explorers, out of the Atlantic 10 Conference, had opened with a solid 5-over 289, but struggled to a 303 in the second round.

   Temple head coach Brian Quinn took advantage of the Owls’ home tournament and had 13 players tee it up at The 1912 Club, including two teams. Temple plays out of the American Athletic Conference.

   Temple’s Cherry team, basically its A team, finished two shots behind La Salle in fourth place with a 26-over 594 total. The top Temple team opened with a 10-over 294 before adding a 300 in the second round.

   Lehigh, a Patriot League entry, was another two shots behind Temple’s Cherry team in fifth place with a 28-over 596 total. After opening with a 9-over 283, the Mountain Hawks closed with a 303.

   Dartmouth, another Ivy League entry, finished a shot behind Lehigh in sixth place with a 29-over 597 total as the Big Green matched the Mountain Hawks’ opening round of 9-over 293 before adding a 304 in the second round.

   Temple displayed some depth as its White team outperformed the Cherry team in the second round with a 12-over 296 after opening with a 302 as the Owls’ B-teamers finished in seventh place with a 30-over 598 total, a shot behind Dartmouth.

   Saint Joseph’s, an A-10 rival of La Salle, was opening its season and the Hawks carded a 14-over 298 in the first round before adding a 304 in the second round as they finished in eighth place in the 12-team field with a 34-over 602 total.

   Drexel had opened its season in the week preceding the Temple Invitational by finishing in a for sixth place with a 14-over 854 total in the J.T. Poston Invitational at the Waynesville Inn & Golf Club in Waynesville, N.C.

   The Dragons were led in the J.T. Poston by Brockton English, a junior from Shelby Township, Mich. who finished in a tie for ninth place with an even-par 210. English is back on the course after taking a redshirt year last season.

   Backing up Nicholas for Drexel in the Temple Invitational was Caleb Taylor, a junior from Woodbine, Md. who matched par in the second round with a 71, one of the best rounds of the day, to finish among a trio of players tied for seventh place at 3-over 145.

   Junior Kevin Lydon, a PIAA Class AAA qualifier in 2021 as a senior at Central Bucks West, and sophomore John Keba, a scholastic standout at Emmaus, both landed among the group tied for 12^th place with 5-over 147 totals for Drexel.

   Lydon added a solid 1-over 72 in the second round to his opening round of 4-over 75 while Keba added a 2-over 73 in the second round to his opening-round 74.

   English struggled a little following his strong showing in the J.T. Poston as he finished in the group tied for 41^st place with a 154 total. After opening with a 7-over 78, English registered a 76 in the second round.

   Ben Scott, a senior from Manhattan Beach, Calif., led the way for Penn as he shared third place with Lehigh’s Jake Roth, a junior from Rockville, Md., and Dartmouth’s Tyler Brand, a sophomore from Richmond, Va., in the individual standings in the Temple Invitational, each landing on 1-over 143, a shot behind Battye and Nicholas.

   Scott matched par in the opening round with a 71 before adding a 1-over 72 in the second round. Roth matched Nicholas’ sparkling opening round of 4-under 67 before falling back with a 5-over 76 in the second round. After opening with a 1-under 70, Brand added a 2-over 73 in the second round.

   Mount St. Mary’s Aaron Sorkin, a senior from Westminster, Md., finished alone in sixth place with a 2-over 144 total as he matched par in the second round with a 71 after opening with a 2-over 73.

   Joining Drexel’s Taylor in the tied for seventh place at 3-over were La Salle’s Armand Loscalzo, a junior from Tampa, Fla. and Penn’s Max Fonseca, a sophomore from Miami, Fla.

   Loscalzo got off to a strong start with a 3-under 68 in the opening round before struggling a little with a 6-under 77 in the second round. After opening with a 3-over 74, Fonseca matched par in the second round with a 71.

   Rounding out the top 10 in the individual standings at The 1912 Club was Rider’s Joey Lostumbo, a graduate student from Flemington, N.J. who finished in 10^th place with a 4-over 146 total. Lostumbo matched par with a 71 in the second round after opening with a 4-over 75.

   Backing up Scott and Fonseca for Penn was Hayden Adams, a sophomore from Lexington, Ky. who finished among the group tied for 12^th place with a 5-over 147 total. Adams matched par in the second round with a 71 after opening with a 5-over 76.

   The Quakers’ Wesley Hu, a freshman from Suwanee, Ga., added a 5-over 76 to his opening-round 75 to finish in the group tied for 31^st place with a 9-over 151 total.

   Rounding out the Penn lineup was George Roessler, a senior from North Palm Beach, Fla. who finished in the group tied for 34^th place with a 10-over 152 total. Roessler bounced back from an opening-round 79 to contribute a 2-over 73 to the Quakers’ solid team showing in the second round.

   Penn had opened its season over the Labor Day weekend by finishing in a tie for sixth place in the Alex Lagowitz Memorial, hosted by Colgate at Seven Oaks Golf Club in Hamilton, N.Y.

   Fonseca led the way for Penn in the Alex Lagowitz, shortened to 36 holes by weather, as he ended up in a tie for sixth place in the individual standings with a 2-under 142 total.

   Backing up Battye and Loscalzo for La Salle was Gavin Dosch, a sophomore from Draper, Utah who finished among the group tied for 34^th pace with a 10-over 152 total. Dosch added a 6-over 77 in the second round to his opening-round 75.

   Senior Alex Gekas, a PIAA Class AAA qualifier in 2018 as a junior at Central York, was another shot behind Dosch in the group tied for 37^th place with a 153 total as he added a 6-over 77 in the second round to his opening-round 76.

   Rounding out the La Salle lineup was graduate student Matt Lafond, a scholastic standout at La Salle who finished in the group tied for 63^rd place with a 165 total. Matt Lafond added an 81 in the second round tot his opening-round 84.

   La Salle had opened the wraparound 2024-’25 season by finishing in fifth place in the Red Bandanna Invitational at the Turning Stone Resort in Verona, N.Y. over the Labor Day weekend. Battye also led the way for the Explorers in their season debut as he finished in sixth place with a 3-over 219 total.

   Leading the way for Temple’s Cherry team were Aiden Emmerich, a junior from Swampscott, Mass., and Ethan Whitney, a senior from Westminster, Mass., as both landed in the group tied for 12^th place at 5-over 147.

   Emmerich opened with a 2-over 73 before adding a 74 in the second round while Whitney had the opposite splits, adding a 2-over 73 in the second round to his opening-round 74.

   Michael Walsh, a senior from Shelburne, Vt., opened with a solid 1-over 72 before adding a 76 in the second round as he also recorded a top-20 finish for the Owls’ A team, ending up in the group tie for 18^th place with a 6-over 148 total.

   Senior Joey Morganti, who was a scholastic standout at St. Joseph’s Prep, opened with a 4-over 75 and added an 80 in the second round to finish in a tie for 45^th place with a 155 total.

   Rounding out the lineup for Temple’s Cherry team was Jake Naese, a senior from Bradenton, Fla. who finished in the group tied for 50^th place with a 157 total. Naese added a 6-over 77 in the second round after opening with an 80.

   A trio of Owls had strong showings to lead the way for the four-man Temple White team.

   Junior Darren Nolan, one of several players in the field who were scholastic standouts at La Salle, Sophomore Matt Vital, a three-time PIAA Class AAA qualifier at Liberty, and junior Brett McGrath, an AIM Academy graduate and another in a long line of McGraths out of Huntingdon Valley Country Club, all landed in the group tied for 22^nd place at 7-over 149.

   Nolan opened with a 3-over 74 before adding a 75 in the second round. Matt Vital and McGrath had identical splits as each added a 2-over 73 in the second round to an opening-round 76.

   Rounding out the Temple White team lineup was sophomore Ben Saggers, a PIAA Class AAA qualifier in 2021 as a senior at Bishop Shanahan who finished among the group tied for 55^th place with a 159 total. After opening with a 5-over 76, Saggers struggled to an 83 in the second round.

   Sophomore Drew Clark, a scholastic standout at Archmere Academy, competed as an individual for Temple and opened with a solid 1-over 72 before adding a 76 in the second round that left him in the group tied for 18^th place with a 6-over 148 total.

   Matt Vital’s twin brother Michael, also a sophomore who starred scholastically at Liberty, finished in the group tied for 41^st place at 154 while competing as an individual, adding a 4-over 75 in the second round to his opening-round 79.

   Mason Tome, a freshman from West Palm Beach, Fla., added a 7-over 78 in the second round to his opening-round 83 to end up in a tie for 58^th place with a 161 total.

   The last of the foursome that competed as individuals for Temple was junior Michael Quirk, another product of Catholic League power La Salle who finished in 65^th place, tallying a pair of 85s for a 170 total.

   In its next start, Temple closed with a program record 14-under 274 to finish in seventh place with a 12-under 852 total in the Ironwood Collegiate Classic, which wrapped up Tuesday at Ironwood Country Club in Greenville, S.C. East Carolina hosted the Ironwood Collegiate Classic.

   Whitney fueled the final-round surge by the Owls as he matched a program record with a sizzling 7-under 65.

   Saint Joseph’s was led by junior Keller Mulhern, the Inter-Ac League’s champion golfer of the year as a senior at Malvern Prep in 2021 who finished among the group tied for 12^th place at The 1912 Club with a  5-over 147 total. Mulhern opened with a 2-over 73 before adding a 74 in the second round.

   Sophomore Noah Moelter, who finished in a tied for sixth place in the PIAA Class AAA Championship in 2022 as a senior at Central Bucks South, recorded a pair of 4-over 75s to finish in the group tied for 22^nd place with an 8-over 150 total.

   Senior Thomas Larkin, who was a scholastic standout at Cardinal O’Hara, finished in the group tied for 31^st place with a 9-over 151 as he opened with a 3-over 74 before adding a 77 in the second round.

   Junior Christian Matt, a two-time PIAA Class AAA qualifier at Wissahickon, opened with a 5-over 76 and added an 80 in the second round to finish among the trio tied for 47^th place with a 156 total.

   Rounding out the Saint Joseph’s lineup was sophomore Kevin Lafond, a two-time PIAA Class AAA qualifier during a standout scholastic career at La Salle who finished in the group tied for 50^th place with a 157 total. Kevin Lafond added a 7-over 78 to his opening-round 79.

   The Debusschere brothers, Tyler, a sophomore, and Jackson, a senior, both of whom starred scholastically at Strath Haven, teed it up in the Temple Invitational for Cornell, out of the Ivy League.

   Tyler Debusschere carded a pair of 4-over 75s to finish in the group tied for 27^th place with an 8-over 150 total. Jackson Debusschere added a 4-over 75 in the second round to his opening-round 80 to end up in the group tied for 45^th place with a 155 total.

   Junior Weston Warden, a scholastic standout at Shady Side Academy, finished among the group tied for 22^nd place with a 7-over 149 total for the Big Red as he added a 3-over 74 in the second round to his opening-round 75.

   Senior Tyler Zimmer, a key member of The Haverford School’s 2019 Inter-Ac championship team, also teed it up for Cornell at The 1912 Club, finishing in the group tied for 60^th place with a 161 total. Zimmer opened with an 8-over 79 before adding an 82 in the second round.

   Cornell finished in 11^th place in the 12-team Temple Invitational field with a 45-over 613 total as the Big Red added a 304 in the second round to its opening-round 309.

   Jackson Debusschere closed with a final round of 3-under 68, a collegiate career best, to earn his first career top-10 finish, ending up in a tie for 10^th place with a 2-under 211 in last weekend’s Columbia Autumn Invitational at the Lake Placid Links Course in Lake Place, N.Y.

   Jackson Debusschere helped Cornell finish in fifth place in the team chase with an 862 total.

   Tyler Debusschere also had a strong showing in Lake Placid, finishing in the group tied for 18^th place with a 3-over 216 total.

   Mount St. Mary’s got a solid showing from senior Devin Smith, a two-time PIAA Class AAA qualifier at Waynesboro, in the Temple Invitational as he opened with a 1-over 72 and added a 74 in the second round to finish in the group tied for 10^th place with a 4-over 146 total.

   Junior Aiden Leblanc, a PIAA Class AAA qualifier as a senior at Emmaus in 2021, was in the lineup for Lehigh and finished in the group tied for 31^st place with a 9-over 151 total as he added a 4-over 75 in the second round to his opening-round 76.

   Freshman Andrew Bilson, who finished in a tie for 10^th place in the PIAA Class AAA Championship as a senior at Manheim Township last fall, teed it up in the Temple Invitational for Rider and finished in the group tied for 37^th place with a 153 total. Bilson opened with a solid 1-over 72 before struggling to an 81 in the second round.