Confidence paid off for Endel Liias this weekend.
The Penn men's golf junior turned in a memorable individual performance at this weekend's James Madison Invitational, shooting a two-round total of 141. His performance -- three-under on the par-72 course -- marks the first time in over two years a member of the Quakers' squad finished under par for a tournament.
Liias credited his performance to some extra practice time he has put in, which has boosted his confidence and made him more relaxed on the course.
"I didn't over-think," Liias said. "I let my practice take over."
Penn assistant coach Heath Davidson expected that kind of focus and determination from Liias.
"I was proud of Endel," Davidson said. "He hit the ball very well the entire weekend."
The Quakers received solid efforts from several other players.
Penn senior captain Mike Russell turned in an impressive even-par 144 for the weekend after shooting a team-low second-round score of 71.
In individual rounds, juniors Peyton Wallace and Chad Perman both shot a 75 on Sunday, and senior Trey Best finished the round with a 78.
As a team, the Quakers tied for 11th out of 24 squads, shooting a combined total of 586 during the two-day tournament which took place Saturday and Sunday.
Davidson attributed a few factors to the team's middle-of-the-pack, 11th-place finish. He believed that the Quakers were not hitting as well as they had in the Navy Invitational three weeks ago.
"They looked rusty after the long layoff," Davidson said.
Russell, fighting off illness the entire weekend, agreed that the team, himself in particular, was not able to play well down the stretch, particularly on the putting green.
"I just wasn't putting the ball well at the end of the round," Russell said. "I need to be more consistent."
Liias, who was happy with his personal performance, was admittedly disappointed with the team's overall showing.
"We know we're better than we showed this weekend," he said.
Despite the early-season rust, Davidson took pride in the fact that the team didn't quit.
"They ground it out until the end," Davidson said. "[Russell and Liias] set an example on the course by stepping up and playing hard. They continued to show that practice and hard work do pay off."
The Quakers are idle until Oct. 5, when they travel across Philadelphia to participate in the Temple University Invitational.
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