This weekend, the Penn men's golf team will travel to our nation's capital to face a challenging field on the difficult Lansdowne Resort golf course at the Georgetown Hoya Invitational. Penn finished eighth at the same tourney last year, with the low round of 291 coming in the first of the two rounds. This year, senior captain Rob Goldfaden seeks to lead his troops against the likes of Michigan, Xavier, Georgetown and coach Francis Vaughn's alma mater, Eastern Carolina. A good showing this weekend will bode well for the team's confidence, especially after a strong second round at the Navy Invitational last weekend. "Our chances are pretty good this week," Goldfaden said. "Our team this year is very strong, stronger than last year. Each player competing this week could potentially finish in the top 10." Those participating this week include Goldfaden, Kyle Moran, Rob Hunt, Todd Golditch and Chad Perman. Perman, winner of this summer's Virginia State Golf Association Junior Championship with a record score of 205, hopes to continue his solid play. At the Navy Invitational, Penn's first invitational of the fall season, the freshman finished with a two-round score of 149, best on the team. With the addition of three freshmen in Perman, Peyton Wallace and Endel Liias to an already experienced and skillful squad, the Quakers are ready to realize their goals this season. Vaughn's first goal for his team involves getting the players ready for the spring season. "I see the fall season as a tune-up," Vaughn said. "I want to see where my players stand and more importantly, I want to let everybody get a chance to play. "I want my players to have experience playing against strong teams in pressure situations." As the lineup stands for the rest of this season, it doesn't get any easier. But that is alright for Penn. The competition Penn faces this weekend, in addition to the teams it will encounter at invitationals later this fall, will spur the Quakers on to reaching their ultimate goal: the Ivy League Championship.
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