By Sam Belden
On Saturday, Fordham Golf wrapped up its fall season with a share of fifth place at the Lehigh Invitational. While the Rams found themselves in the mix after the first round, they could not catch fire on the second day and wound up settling for another middle-of-the-pack finish. The host course, Saucon Valley Country Club, is a par 71 designed by Herb Strong.
After opening with a score of 312, Fordham was alone in sixth place. A strong day two in the low 300s might have proven enough for at least a podium finish, but instead, the Rams fought through windy conditions to combine for a 315, landing themselves 20 strokes behind the winners.
Sophomore Matt Schiller led the way for the Rams. The Ohio native established himself as a contender after the first round, during which he shot a 72, just two strokes off the pace. However, he blew up to an 82 on Saturday to fall into a tie for 11th. Sophomore James Mongey was more consistent, signing for rounds of 77 and 78 and tying for 14th, just one stroke behind.
The team’s remaining members were not as productive. Freshman Tommy Hayes opened with a 78 and closed with an 82 en route to a tie for 32nd. Sophomore Joseph Trim stumbled out of the gate with a 86, but he righted the ship on Saturday with a gutsy 75, ending up in a tie for 34th. Junior Fernando Morett rounded out the scoring for Fordham, shooting rounds of 85 and 80. All Fordham players but Morett regressed on Saturday.
“We felt like we sort of fell apart during the event,” said Trim, referring to his team’s second round fade. “But when you step back and look at the conditions of the wind and the difficulty of the golf course, it’s easier to see how well we did play.”
Bucknell won the event. The Bison notched the best team score on both days, posting a 299 on Friday and a 308 on Saturday. Lucas Trim, Villanova University junior and brother of Fordham player Joseph Trim, was the medalist, signing for rounds of 70 and 74 en route to a three stroke victory.
Thanks to the Saturday tee times, Fordham finished its day long before Villanova, but that did not stop Trim from watching his brother take the title. “I had to talk everyone into sticking around to watch my brother finish,” he said. “I’m glad they let me, because it felt great waiting off of the 18th green to congratulate him.” He called it one of the highlights of his college career.
While Fordham Golf could not pull out any wins, this fall season has been significant due to the noticeable uptick in performance among Fordham players. In five events, the Rams notched a fourth, two sixths, a seventh and a 12th. That looks pretty good compared to last fall, when Fordham played one more event but wound up with just two top six finishes.
Still, the players’ main focus this offseason is further improvement. “The main thing we need to focus on for the spring is preparation,” said Trim. “We need to start taking practice rounds a little more seriously and be more methodical out on the course. Being committed to hitting a shot is just as, if not more important than the actual swing. We need to focus more on the mental aspect so we can show the talent we have.”
While the team has yet to announce its spring schedule, we know that it will culminate with a trip to Florida for the Atlantic 10 Championship in April, to be held at the Villas of Grand Cyprus in 2016. Until then, Fordham Golf will be working away in the gym and on the course.
