Mike Blodgett may be a junior, but thanks to the Princeton Invitational, he has never had a chance to attend Penn's signature party.
"This tournament always falls on Spring Fling," he said.
"I've never experienced what it's all about, but I don't regret it. All of the players who go feel a sense of pride. It's a great opportunity to represent Penn."
Five men - Blodgett, Kevin Huntington, Dean Merrill, Brett Rendina and Bryant Williams - will tee up this weekend at the par-71, 6,390-yard Springdale Golf Club against 13 other teams.
The field includes many of last year's competitors, including defending champion St. John's.
Huntington, a freshman, and Blodgett have paced the Quakers for most of the season, and they will need to continue their consistent play for Penn to improve on last year's fifth-place finish.
Coming off a difficult tournament at Notre Dame that resulted in a disappointing seventh-place finish (out of nine teams), the Quakers are hoping to find their spring swing in New Jersey before they return to the Garden State next week for the Ivy League Championships.
"The team is looking forward to a great weekend," assistant coach Chad Perman said. "I think the invitational will be a great opportunity to gain some confidence."
With the arrival of spring, the men have taken full advantage of their outdoor facilities. Though they have been practicing at the Philadelphia Cricket Club for three weeks now, the warmer weather has been a plus.
"We've been out on the golf course a lot," Perman said.
"The more we get to play on an actual course the better. We've also been able to work a lot on the putting greens where you really win tournaments."
While the level of competition may not be like last weekend's - Notre Dame and Northwestern rank in the top 100 - this tournament will help the Red and Blue evaluate whether they can repeat as Ancient Eight champs.
In addition to Penn, three other Ivy League teams - Columbia, Cornell and Princeton - will also be competing in the field.
"It's nice that it gives us a chance to see the Ivy League teams before we get to Galloway, [N.J.]" Blodgett said.
"Hopefully all five players can show up this weekend, we can get lucky a few times and get ready for Galloway."
