The Penn men’s golf team heads into the homestretch of its schedule as spring descends upon the Northeast. The month of April begins four straight weekends of tournaments for the Quakers.
On Saturday, the Red and the Blue head to New Haven to take part in the Yale Spring Invitational at the Yale Golf Course. The 36-hole tournament is a one-day event, as opposed to the usual 54-hole two-day events that comprise the majority of the schedule.
Yale Golf Course is known as one of the most difficult places to play on Penn’s schedule this year. The 432-yard par-4 fourth hole and the 238-yard par-3 ninth hole have been considered notorious for ruining the days of many talented golfers.
The Yale Invitational is a homecoming of sorts for coach Bob Heintz, a standout golfer during his days as a Bulldog. He won the Ivy League championship three years in a row at Yale before playing professionally on the PGA tour. Heintz had quite a bit to say about the Yale Spring Invitational.
“The biggest issue of the Yale Invitational is usually the weather,” he said. “It has snowed there before. I’ve seen snow and sleet. It’s a difficult golf course. The ones seeing it for the first time may be intimidated. When we play our practice rounds, I can give them guidance.”
Heintz claims that his familiarity with the golf course will not add give the team a major advantage.
“I have some idea of the hard holes and can tell them how to avoid a bad hole,” he said. “I can make sure to advise them to play smart shots, but they have to go out and do it.”
The Quakers’ first tournament of the spring came right after spring break, when they competed in the 54-hole Cleveland Golf Palmetto Intercollegiate. The team finished 11th out of 18 teams.
Junior Max Marsico finished as Penn’s best golfer in the tournament by shooting rounds of 76, 71 and 73 to shoot a 10 over par 220 and finish tied for 22nd out of 90 golfers.
Sophomore Austin Powell was not far behind, finishing tied for 32nd via rounds of 74, 71 and 78 for a combined 13 over par 223. Also finishing in the top 40 in the tournament was senior captain P.J. Fielding, who shot 72, 75 and 77 for a combined 14 over par 224.
The next tournament for the Quakers will be the 54-hole Princeton Invitational at the Springdale Golf Club in Princeton, N.J. The tourney will take place over both Saturday and Sunday.
SEE ALSO:
For Penn golfer, pro is the only way to go
Brief | Penn finishes 11th at S.C. tournament
Penn women’s golf takes first at Fall Classic
New Penn golf coach discusses his career on PGA Tour
The Daily Pennsylvanian is an independent, student-run newspaper. Please consider making a donation to support the coverage that shapes the University. Your generosity ensures a future of strong journalism at Penn.
DonatePlease note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.