After the first day of the ECAC Championships at Long Island National Golf Club, the men's golf team was not happy with their performance, but the Bears were able to channel their frustration into a productive final round.
"We were all disappointed with the way we played the first day," said co-captain Chris Hoffman '09, who shot a 158 after their two-round Friday. "We should be way more competitive with the Ivy teams." After the first day Friday, Brown sat in 11th place, while Yale and Columbia were leading the pack, and ended up finishing one-two in the tournament.
"We wanted to shoot a good score as a team on Saturday, and we hadn't really had four good scores all fall," said John Giannuzzi '10.
Mike Amato '11 lead the team after day one with a 157, while Giannuzzi also put up a 158. Scores of 162 and 164 came from Joe Rued '09 and co-captain Conor Malloy '09, respectively.
The next day a different lineup and a post-tournament treat gave Bruno a boost. The Bears finished 10th overall after pulling off a 299 third, and final, round score. Only three other teams in the 15-team field bettered that score for the day.
"We went out the second day and proved we can be competitive," Hoffman, who finished at the top for Bruno with a one-under par 70, good for 19th place overall, said. "We are looking to shoot 300 and below every time."
According to Amato, Head Coach Michael Hughes changed the lineup of what position every player started in, helping to foster some of the lower scores.
"I usually play (in the third starting position), but decided to go (in the first starting position) as the 5-man," Hoffman said. "I feel more confident going off first as 5-man, and we didn't have to wait at all, so I was able to get into a rhythm." The line-up changes proved to be effective, as the Bears' final round was their best in a while.
"Certainly 299 was the best we've played at Brown in three or four years," Hughes said. "We had a lower round than Yale (who won the whole tournament)."
Giannuzzi shot a 72 to finish 25th and at one point was four-under par after starting off the day with three birdies. Malloy finished with a 76, Amato an 81 and Rued an 87.
"I'm satisfied, but I'm not content," Hughes said. "The guys have really responded well, but the final analysis will be the spring."
After the tournament, the team had a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to play at the Sebonack course in the South Hamptons, a club with a million-dollar membership. The team received a special invite from a friend of the program, and Hughes allowed an extension on their New York trip.
"It was a nice treat to play there, hats off to our coach for setting that up," Hoffman said. "He's done a lot for the program."
The course was ranked the No. 1 new private course in 2007 by Golfer's Digest.
"That was a lot of fun, maybe people were looking forward to that and played well on Sunday, I don't know," Amato said.
The team has one last tournament for the fall season out on Cape Cod in Brewster, Mass., in a huge field of Division I, II and III teams, this Sunday and Monday.
"It's not a good field, big but not good," Giannuzzi said. "We have a chance to win if we play well."
