By Scott Padula
Staff Writer
The men’s golf team kicked off its spring season at the Kingsmill Resort where they competed in the C&F Bank Invitational this past weekend. Represented by Will Bachman ’12, Dan Bernard ’13, Schuyler Stitzer ’14, Thomas Walter ’14 and Pete Scialabba ’15, the Orange and Blue placed 24th in a field of 29.
In wet conditions, Stitzer and Scialabba started the weekend strong for the Bison, both posting 75 in the first round. On the day, the Orange and Blue recorded a team score of 306 with contributions from Walter and Bernard who recorded a 77 and 79, respectively.
In the second day of action, the Orange and Blue shot a team score of 323. Fast winds and increasingly difficult conditions accounted for the 17-stroke difference between the first and second days. Again, Stitzer led the way for the Orange and Blue with a score of 80. Bachman, Bernard and Scialabba rounded out the official scorers for the Bison, each scoring an 81. By the end of the second round, the Orange and Blue fell to 26th place overall.
“A reoccurring theme for us this weekend was that several members of the team, myself included, had a difficult time finishing our rounds strong. As a result, the scores did not really reflect how well we played. I think going forward this season our goal is to work on course management decisions and eliminate mistakes that cost us unnecessary strokes,” Stitzer said.
To conclude the C&F Bank Invitational, the Bison registered a final-round 302; a score that pushed them back to 24th in the standings. Walter led all Bison with a season-best 74, while Stitzer finished with a 75 and the best score on the weekend with a 230. Bernard also posted a 75 on the day and Scialabba shot a 78.
“As a team, I thought we had a successful off-season and were more prepared for this event than we have been in years past. Nevertheless, I hope to see improvement in our final results. Hopefully we will continue to improve each tournament leading up to Patriot Leagues. Our competitive tournament schedule should help us prepare mentally and physically. By the time Patriot Leagues come around in April, we will be ready to win a championship,” Bachman said.
The Orange and Blue will head to Malvern, Pa. where they will compete in the Wildcat Invitational this weekend.
