Golf opens season in 12th place at Princeton Invitational

By Hal Goodwin

The Broncs opened up their golf season last weekend as the team competed in the 22nd annual Princeton Invitational.

Rider shot a three-round team score of 900, earning them 12th place out of the 15 teams. St. Johns’s won the tournament, finishing with a three round score of 869.

“Our spring schedule is just starting so this was our first tournament,” said senior Tyler Brewington. “Unfortunately we started late so we haven’t gotten to play in as many tournaments as other teams we’ve faced. Most teams have already played in several tournaments already and I think our 12th place finish shows that.”

Brewington, the lone senior on the team, led the Broncs and finished the tournament eighth out of the 77 competitors, just four shots off the lead. Brewington was also one of just 10 golfers in the tournament to score an eagle and had the fifth most pars overall with 37.

“He leads by example,” said junior Eric LeFante. “As his teammates, we all have something to strive for. We all try to beat him and be as good as him. He’s a senior so he’s played the courses and is able to help out. Most importantly, he comes to play every tournament up and we want to do the same.”

While LeFante described Brewington as a teammate who is known to help out his fellow Bronc golfers in practice, Brewington insists that the golfers all help each other and that’s what will lead to their success.

“I try and help the guys out, but most of them have been playing for so many years and they know what they are doing out there,” said Brewington. “I’m just trying to help guide them through a course I may be more familiar with. We all try to help each other with swings or things of that sort, but I don’t know that it’s just me helping them out as much as it is everyone collectively helping each other out.”

LeFante shot a final round 81, finishing the tournament with a final score of 230, leaving him tied with teammate Jordan Wycoff for 51st.

“One way we can improve on this weekend is to make sure we finish strong,” LeFante said. “We had good rounds going but let them slip away so we’re all a little disappointed about that. I think that I can speak for the whole team when I say we struggled on the greens. If we are able to improve on that we’ll have a much better showing this weekend.”

Also for Rider, freshman Brian Accorsini shot a final round 76 and a final score of 231, finishing tied for 56th with Rider freshman Brent Wolgast. Wolgast shot a final round score of 77.

The team will have a chance to rebound this weekend as it competes Friday and Saturday at the Mount St. Mary’s Invitational.

“Everyone’s played the course or at least seen it several times,” LeFante said. “We’re all pretty much familiar with the course and we have all had some good rounds there, too. Right now we are just practicing and trying to stay focused. Just taking it one shot at a time. We have a lot of talent and potential and I think it is going to click and start to show.”