CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The PGA Tour golf season may be winding down, but the Fordham golf season is just beginning. The team kicked off its fall campaign this past weekend at Seven Oaks Golf Club in Hamilton, N.Y. as part of the Colgate Fall Invitational.

After a rocky start that left the team in 12th place after the first round, the team rallied in Saturday’s second 18 to move into ninth place. The team of five concluded play on Sunday and finished tied for ninth place with a 12 round cumulative score of 928, or 64 over par.

Junior co-captain Jeff Hogan led the way for the Rams, posting a three round score of 10 over par, including a two under par 70 on Saturday afternoon. Hogan, who finished 17th individually, is excited about what the rest of the season has in store.

“I’m really looking forward to being a leader on this team,” Hogan said. “I feel like my experience will help the new guys adjust quickly and not feel any pressure to play well but rather play the way they and I know how.”

Freshman Fernando Morett was second best for the team this past weekend. The local product, who played high school golf at The Loyola School in Manhattan, posted a 233, or 17 over par over the tournament’s 54 holes. In his first career collegiate event the freshman did not give in to any nerves.

“I was too excited to be nervous, so I just went out there and tried to have fun,” said Morett. “I didn’t play as well as I thought I would, but I think it was a good start to my career here at Fordham.”

Also finishing at 17 over par for the weekend was junior transfer Andrew Dufresne. Switching coasts from Saint Mary’s College of California, Dufresne struggled in his first round as a Ram, shooting 85, but roared back after getting back in the swing of things with consecutive rounds of two over par 74.

Senior co-captain Brandon Nolan and junior Ben Alcorn rounded out the team. Nolan finished tied for 48th place, but posted a one over par 73 in the second round. Alcorn finished at 32 over par for the tournament.

As for the champions of the tournament, Jared Mactas of Lafayette College took home the individual title with an impressive score of one under par. Binghamton University captured the team title with a 12-round cumulative score of 16 over par.

The Colgate Fall Invitational marked the first of seven fall tournaments for the Rams, and the team has high expectations going forward. “We have a deep freshman class and we’re really excited on where we’re heading in the future,” Hogan said.

That future will continue to develop at the Adams Cup on Monday and Tuesday, Sept. 16 and 17 at Newport National Golf Club in Middletown, R.I. The team will quickly turn around and compete in the Cornell Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 21 and Sunday, Sept. 22.

Categories: Golf, Sports

Tags: DREW CASEY