Michael Blodgett continued his stellar freshman year by birdying the last two holes of the George Washington Invitational yesterday. Those two birdies were critical in the event, where Penn won its second tournament of the year.
The Quakers also finished first at the MacDonald Tournament held at Yale in October.
In this weekend's win, Penn came out on top in a field of 25. The team shot an overall 592 over two days to finish 16 over par for the weekend, one stroke ahead of Delaware.
Penn fought through two days of miserable conditions at the Bear Trap Dunes Golf Course in Bethany Beach, Del. On Saturday, the weather was a chilly 45 degrees and raining. The rain did not resume yesterday, but the biting cold continued to haunt the golfers.
However, the miserable conditions did not deter the Quakers from playing solid golf. They held the lead after the first day; their team score of 292 was good for a three-shot lead over Delaware.
Senior co-captain Derek Rogers and junior co-captain Sean Barrett led the Quakers with scores of 147 each. Rogers shot 72-75, while Barrett hit 75-72, good enough to finish tied for eighth in the tournament.
Blodgett shot 151 (79-72), while Dean Merrill (73-81) and Nick Ryder (72-82) each finished at 154 for the weekend. Those scores positioned them tied for 27th and 48th overall, respectively.
Kyle Morris of Seton Hall won the event by shooting 140 over the weekend. He was one of only two golfers in the 132-player field to finish under par for the weekend.
Rogers emphasized that winning the tournament was a team effort and that every shot mattered.
"When you're out there for seven hours for a round, every shot means a lot," Rogers said. "It could be any shot of 300 strokes that contributes to the win."
He believes that the team won as much through mental determination as through physical talent.
"Every single person agreed never to quit," Rogers said, "To never quit means a lot."
Coach Rob Powelson agreed wholeheartedly with the conclusions of his captain.
"Our guys grinded it out," he said. "It speaks to esprit de coeur and the determination of this team, especially in adverse conditions."
That determination led the Quakers to finish ahead of Ivy rival Columbia and three Big 5 competitors. The Lions finished fifth at 603, while Villanova, Saint Joseph's and Temple finished third, fifth and 20th, respectively.
The two first-place tournament finishes, the consistency of play and the competitive mindset of this Penn team has left Rogers and his teammates thirsting for more.
"Our goal is to win two more of the next three," Rogers said. "We are very confident about our next three tournaments."
The Quakers resume their schedule on April 8 when they compete at the Princeton Invitational. That event will be followed on consecutive weekends by the Navy Invitational and the Ivy League Championships.
