It was a rocky day — filled with both ups and downs — for Penn men’s golf during the first day of the Adams Cup of Newport tournament, hosted in Rhode Island.
After the first round, the Quakers were in third place, and junior Max Marsico led individual scoring with a low of 67. However, in the next round, the wind picked up, taking its toll on the team’s play. Penn fell to sixth place.
“Our guys just had a tough time with the wind,” coach Bob Heintz said. “[Tuesday], the guys are just going to have to be ready for difficult conditions and just be tougher than the other team.”
In the first round, Marsico’s score of three under par easily surpassed that of his teammates. His fellow squad members — freshman P.J. Collier, sophomore Austin Powell, senior P.J. Fielding and freshman Patrick O’Leary — scored 72, 73, 77 and 79 respectively.
“The star of the show was Max Marsico,” Heintz said.
Last season, Marsico made the Northeast’s all-regional team.
“We have several other players always pushing him,” Heintz said. “From an outsider’s point of view, Max is our star.”
In the second round, the scores were both more evenly distributed and more disappointing. Each player finished the 18 holes between 77 and 81, and the team scored 312. In contrast, the University of Central Florida — which led the pack by the end of the day — finished the weather-disturbed second round with a score of 289.
After the rounds, Heintz seemed happy to have gotten through his first day of college coaching but still hungry for better performances. He arrived just a few days ago and says he is still learning the nuances of his team.
“We’re just trying to get together,” he said. “I need to get familiar with their likes and dislikes.”
Tuesday, Penn plays the final round of the 54-hole tournament. Heintz is keeping his aspirations realistic.
“I’m not sure we can win the event because we’re just too far behind, but we’re certainly in a position to be in the top three,” he said.
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