By Colin Fields

Writer

The men’s golf team braved tough conditions Saturday to remain in contention at the Navy Invitational in Annapolis this past weekend. Ben Mattingly ’11 fired an opening round 78 to give the Orange and Blue momentum going into Sunday, despite the terrible conditions. On Sunday, Will Bachman ’12 and Jon Hartman ’13 both posted one-over-par 72’s to help the Bison finish eighth in a 20-team field.

The first round was played in rainy conditions at the USNA Golf Course. The conditions resulted in no player finishing below 73 on the first day of play. Mattingly’s 78 put him in a group of 32 players who were within five strokes of the lead. Bachman was second for the Bison, posting a 79. Mattingly and Bachman propelled the Bison to 10th place going into Sunday.

In the final round, the conditions were much more favorable for the Bison, and the team shaved 18 strokes off its day-one total of 319. Mattingly played consistently, carding another 78 on the second day of play. Schuyler Stitzer ’14 finished with a 79 after posting an 80 on day one. The Bison had four players finish in the 70s Sunday, two more than the previous day.

Bachman’s 36-hole total of 151 was the lowest for the Bison and 16th in the field overall. Bachman and Mattingly were the only Bison able to shoot consecutive 70s on the weekend.

“I felt like I played well this weekend,” Bachman said. “The conditions were very tough on Saturday, and I played well Sunday, but compared to the field I felt like I could have done better.”

Hartman had the biggest improvement from Saturday to Sunday, shaving 10 strokes off his day one total. Hartman took advantage of clear skies on Sunday to finish with a 36-hole total of 154.

“It felt great to close with a solid 72 after playing in some very difficult first round conditions,” Hartman said.

The Bison moved up two spots after their successful final round to finish eighth for the tournament. The Orange and Blue finished third out of the five Patriot League competitors. The Annapolis course will also serve as the location for the Patriot League Championships in two weeks.

“We posted a solid team score on Sunday of 301,” Bachman said. “That score tied Navy’s Sunday score and beat Lehigh, Lafayette and Colgate for the day. The [Patriot League] Tournament should be competitive, and we will have to play well to win, but I believe our best can beat any other team’s best in the Patriot League. The championship is definitely up for grabs, but I am confident in our team’s ability to win.”