PRINCETON, N.J. -- A round at Springdale Golf Club is a challenge in itself. When rain is added into the equation, as it was on Friday morning, it can become somewhat of a nightmare.
And the 54-hole Princeton Invitational at Springdale was not exactly a dream for the Penn men's golf team as they finished 14th in a field of 17 teams. George Washington won the event, and Ivy League rival Princeton was a close second.
"A challenging course makes you take a lot of different shots, you gotta have your entire game together," Penn captain Derek Rogers said.
Players' pants and shoes were covered with mud all day Friday because of wet conditions that made play frustrating.
"It's really slow. It should be slow, but not this slow," freshman Dean Merrill said.
The picturesque course at Springdale overlooks the Princeton campus and many of its old gothic-style buildings. However, the Quakers did not have time to look around as they were scheduled to play 36 holes on Friday, followed up by 18 more on Saturday morning.
The young Penn squad -- made up of Rogers, Merrill, senior Patrick Cooper, sophomore Sean Barrett and rookie Garrett Wentzell -- and with freshman Michael Kornheiser competing as an individual -- took on teams from around the Philadelphia and Washington areas, including Atlantic Coast Conference powerhouse Maryland.
Rogers, a junior, placed sixth in the tournament shooting 72, 74 and 72 for a total of 218. Sean Barrett finished tied for 34th with a 227 and Cooper was 65th with a 236.
First-year coach Rob Powelson is happy with the play of his young team and is confident his squad will be ready to perform at next week's Ivy Championships.
"We've got all the pieces in place," Powelson said. "You can tell these guys are great thinkers on the course, very analytical."
The Quakers will put their brain power together next weekend at the Ivy League championships, April 16-17, at Ballyowen Golf Club in Hamburg, N.J. A win would advance the Quakers to the regional tournament May 19-21 in Nashville, Tenn., where they will have the opportunity to compete against other eastern teams.
However, only the top team in the Ivy League earns an invitation, so the Quakers must be at the top of their game this weekend if they hope to continue their season.
