The Penn men's golf team saved its best for last, as the Quakers ended their fall season yesterday and Monday with a fourth-place finish at the John MacDonald Classic.
The finish marked Penn's best of the fall, topping their sixth-place finish last week at the Penn/Big Five Invitational.
The Red and Blue shot 314 on Monday and 318 yesterday. Penn finished 19 strokes behind champion Loyola and nine behind third-place Temple in the 11-team event.
Penn junior Jeff Riley was the low scorer for the Quakers at Galloway National Golf Club with a pair of 78s, good for a 10th-place tie.
Riley's coach, Heath Davidson, praised the junior, calling his play the most consistent performance by any of the Quakers at the Temple-hosted event.
The Red and Blue's best one-day score of the tournament was a first-round 76 shot by freshman Patrick Cooper. However, he faded on the second day.
Davidson was encouraged by his team's highest showing of the fall season.
"We did all right," Davidson said.
He also called the tournament "very difficult."
Riley agreed with his coach, saying that Galloway was "a real tough course."
The Quakers were not helped by high winds both days and a sudden rainstorm that affected play for what Riley deemed "four or five holes" yesterday.
Davidson noted that some players who had not played this season were able to get experience on the links at this tourney. Both Davidson and Riley stressed that the fall season was a valuable learning experience for the young Quakers, who have just one senior and two juniors on the eight-man roster.
Riley emphasized the importance of freshmen and sophomores on the team gaining experience now in order to succeed in the future.
According to Davidson, the most important aspects the Red and Blue need to work on during the winter are their driving and short game.
The spring season features the NCAA Tournament as well as Ivy League competition.
Over the long winter break, the team works out weekly on the simulator at the Pottruck Center and uses the indoor practice facility at Hutchinson Gym.
The spring season begins for the Red and Blue during spring break with the St. John's Treasure Coast Classic. The season-capping Ivy League Championships will take place April 16 and 17.
