In its final competition of the fall, the men's golf team placed 13th at the ECAC Championship over the weekend. After two rounds at the Shelter Harbor Country Club in Charlestown, the Bears finished with a team total of 625 strokes. St. Bonaventure University took home the title, carding a 596.
Brown performed admirably on Saturday, finishing the day tied for ninth with Colgate University. The team's four-player total of 307 placed it just four strokes out of sixth place. Larry Haertel '08, Brown's first ever New England Intercollegiate Individual Champion, and Michael Amato '11 led the team, each shooting four-over-par for 75. Chris Hoffman '09 and John Giannuzzi '09 also chipped in, shooting 77 and 80, respectively.
"We had a pretty good first day," Haertel said.
But on Sunday, the team slid down the standings as every player scored higher than the previous day. Haertel and Amato shot 78 to close their season with identical scores of 153. Meanwhile, Hoffman shot a 79 for a 156, and Giannuzzi finished with an 83 and overall score of 163.
Mark Dee '11 also competed in the tournament and shot 82-91 for a 173, a score that did not contribute to the Bears' final total.
"I think we kind of faltered a little bit the second day," Haertel said. "It's not the way we wanted to end the season."
The team's performance marked the second week in a row the Bears finished 13th. During the MacDonald Cup at Yale, the Bears were in a similar situation, slipping from sixth place after the first day of competition.
The team now faces a winter layoff during which it will regroup for its longer, more strenuous spring season.
"I think everybody's looking forward to spring season," Haertel said. "That's what matters more for us, with the Ivy League Championship."
Last year, the Bears took second place in the Ivy League Championships for their best finish in Brown history.
