In virtually perfect weather conditions, the men's golf team traveled to Galloway, N.J., to compete in the Ivy League Golf Championship this weekend. The Bears took second place with a three-round 914 at the Galloway National Golf Club, 10 strokes behind the University of Pennsylvania, which took home the championship. The second-place finish is the highest Brown has ever placed in the Ivy League.
To top off the terrific weekend, Larry Haertel '08 finished second individually, and Conor Malloy '09 finished sixth. Both earned first team All-Ivy honors.
The 54-hole tournament was an intense tug-of-war featuring top-notch competition. Three-time defending Ivy champion Princeton, last year's runner-up-by-one-stroke Columbia and Penn all entered the tournament with title aspirations. One of the main advantages those three squads boasted was experience. Princeton sported two top-10 finishers from last year, Columbia had three and the Quakers had one.
But Brown entered the tournament with a formidable lineup of its own. Under the leadership of last year's defending individual champion Haertel, the Bears hoped to capture their first Ivy League Championship or at least improve on their third-place finish from last year.
After the first two rounds, both played Saturday, Brown remained in third place, 11 strokes behind the leading Lions. With a two-round 148 (72-76), Haertel sat tied for fifth place with Malloy, who shot 77-71. Malloy's second-round even par was the best score in that round.
On the second day, the Bears returned to the course at 7:30 a.m. to play the final 18 holes. Haertel closed out his last four holes in emphatic fashion, carding a final round 73, but it was not enough to ensure a second straight league title. Haertel finished in second place with a three-round total of 221, just one stroke behind Columbia's Chris Condello, last year's runner-up. Malloy shot a final round of 76 for a three-round 224, good enough for sixth place in the tournament. John Gianuzzi '10, Chris Hoffman '09 and Aaron Telch '07 also contributed to the finish. Gianuzzi shot 231 on the weekend, good enough for 13th place overall, and Hoffman and Telch both shot 241.
"I am very satisfied with the result," said Head Coach Mike Harbour. "The boys played their hearts out and never gave up. Most players and coaches walked away knowing that Brown is not a pushover team anymore."
The men's golf team has one more tournament before the spring season ends. The Bears will compete in the University of Rhode Island Northeast Collegiate Invitational Saturday at Green Valley Country Club in Portsmouth.
"We want to win this tournament. The boys know they can, and we will play as if it is the Ivy League Championship," Harbour said.
The women's golf team also competed in the Ivy League Championship this past weekend at the Trenton Country Club in West Trenton, N.J. The Bears had a disappointing tournament, finishing seventh in the league with an overall score of 1,034. Tiffany Wade '08 finished 13th individually with a three-round 243 (83-80-80). Columbia captured the championship with a total of 933.
Despite her finish at the tournament, Wade was not ecstatic with the weekend's outcome.
"I played fairly well but am still disappointed by the result," Wade said. "It was a rough weekend for the team. The result is partially due to our lack of practice before the weekend due to weather."
However, the team is already looking forward to next year. According to Head Coach Danielle Griffiths, three freshmen will join the team next year, and all are expected to contribute.
"This spring season has been a transition period for the team with the new coach and new system," Griffiths said. "But we are looking forward to improving the team next fall."
Wade expressed the same optimism. "This season's disappointing ending will be extra motivation for the summer and next year."
