The men's golf team came up just short this weekend with their second place finish at the Stabler Invitational. The Tigers fired an impressive two-day total of 595, but this effort was not enough to overcome Lehigh's 583.
"We came in with really high expectations, we thought that we were going to win, and we were disappointed with our performance," sophomore Greg Johnson said.
The Tiger's disappointment is understandable. After winning the event last year on a course that junior Nat Hoopes called "tailored to our team's game," the Tigers were clearly the favorites. With a long layout demanding precise approach shots, the links where the Stabler Invitational is held, truly does set up perfectly for the Princeton men.
As long hitters, the Tigers, two-time defending Ivy League champions, excel on golf courses that require the long ball. With the golf course in excellent condition and the greens rolling well, Princeton looked primed for a repeat.
Despite these favorable conditions, the Tigers were not able to take advantage of their opportunities. A mediocre first-day score of 302 made it difficult for Princeton to keep up with Lehigh. Although the Tigers rallied on the second day with a score of 293 to put them in a position to win, they were not able to catch Lehigh, playing on its home course.
When all was said and done, Lehigh was victorious, and Princeton tied for second with Temple and St. Bonaventure in a 20-team field.
Although the field was not particularly strong, the Tigers second-day score was encouraging.
The Tigers were led by the exceptional play of senior James Milam. In an effort that almost won him the tournament, Milam fired consecutive 72s and finished second.
Milam's second round could have been better. He reached the 18th hole in the final round two-under par for the day. A birdie would have taken him deep into red numbers, but this was not to be.
On the 18th, Milam's tee ball found the water leading to a double bogey.
As for the other Tiger notables, freshman David Heustis shot a two-day total of 150 that was good for 14th. Hoopes fired what he called a "disappointing" first-round 79 and followed it up with a 73 to finish 26th with a total of 152. Johnson opened with a 78 and bettered it by one the following day with a 77 to finish 42nd at 155.
Although the Ivy league championship is contested in the spring, the Stabler invitational is a good opportunity for teams to test their competitive spirit. Lehigh proved that they were up to the test by holding off the Tigers with impressive play.
Hoopes described the team's play as "solid, not spectacular."
"We can hit the ball further than anyone else in the field — we just didn't play to our expectations," Johnson said.
In order to make it a three-peat, Princeton is going to need more than a "solid" performance.
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