Mark Twain once said that golf is nothing more than "a good walk spoiled." This weekend at the Navy Spring Invitational, the weather was so bad that even a good walk was all but impossible, not to mention a good round of golf.
Yet the golf team plowed forward for two days in Annapolis, Md., and managed to shoot some respectable scores despite the weather. The Tigers ended with a sixth-place finish in a field of 23 teams.
Johnson and Wales, out of North Miami, Fla., won the meet with a plus-35 score of 603. Loyola, Towson, Methodist, and Navy, respectively, rounded out the top-five. They all finished ahead of the Tigers, who ended the two days with a plus-47 score of 615.
Sophomore Jason Gerken again led Princeton, as he was the first to come in with a score of 151 for two rounds. That is nine over par on the par-71 course and was good enough to earn him a tie for ninth place overall. Gerken has been playing very well as of late for the Tigers. Last weekend he finished fifth at the George Washington Invitational, where the team placed second overall.
Following Gerken on the Tigers' squad were senior Greg Johnson and sophomore John Locke, who came in with identical scores of 155, earning them a tie for 27th place.
Rounding out the scoring for the Tigers was freshman John Sawin, who came in one stroke behind his teammates with a 156 for the two rounds and a tie for 34th.
The weather was the story of the weekend, especially on Sunday, the second day of competition, when the gusts reached speeds of over 25 miles per hour. This wreaked havoc on all of the golfers' results. Because of this, scores were significantly higher on the final day than on Saturday. Villanova, for example, suffered an increase of 41 strokes from one day to the next, shooting a 339 on Sunday, compared to its 298 the first day. In fact, the scores of all but one team, Delaware, were considerably higher on the second day.
Princeton was at the mercy of the weather just as much as everyone else, as it went from shooting a 304 in the first round to a 311 the next. Despite the higher score, the Tigers moved from ninth place after the first day to sixth at the end, as other teams experienced greater difficulties.
"Sunday was tough. Anytime you have conditions like that, it's definitely a recipe for disaster," head coach Will Green said. "I actually thought we played better on Sunday, but because of the weather, it wasn't represented in the scores."
Playing in the wind affects all aspects of a golfer's game. Not only is a 30-m.p.h. wind capable of pushing even a well-struck shot 15-20 yards off line, it also affects the ball on the green. As a result, competitors were forced to factor in the wind when reading a putt, something that adds greatly to the difficulty of a shot. From the fairway, a headwind meant taking up to three to four more clubs, while a tailwind did just the opposite. Ultimately, it is left to the player to judge this and, as a result, club selection is critical.
Aside from the flight of the ball, the wind also affected the players' abilities to make good swings. Golfers complained of their balance being easily thrown off, considerably decreasing chances of catching the ball on the sweet spot. All this led to scores that were much higher than average.
The sixth-place finish, although respectable because of the large field and tough conditions, was disappointing for the Tigers, who have yet to win their first tournament of the season.
"We just haven't been able to put two good rounds together," Green said, "and that's what it takes to win."
Next week, Princeton gets to play the role of host, as the Tigers welcome 24 teams to the annual Princeton Invitational held at Springdale Golf Club.
Read More
Six for six: men’s and women’s track and field both complete triple crown
Luke StocklessMen’s and women’s track and field each won the Ivy League title this past weekend, capping off a dominant season in which both teams won the triple crown — a feat not seen in 14 years.
Men’s and women’s track and field each won the Ivy League title this past weekend, capping off a dominant season in which both teams won the triple crown — a feat not seen in 14 years.
Nation’s No. 2 miler Mena Scatchard ’25 to transfer to Stanford for graduate year
Luke StocklessThe Tigers’ most decorated distance runner ever has decided to use her final year of eligibility at Stanford after graduating from Princeton this May.
The Tigers’ most decorated distance runner ever has decided to use her final year of eligibility at Stanford after graduating from Princeton this May.
Two-way treats: Shenefelt and Kram do it all for Princeton baseball team
Joseph UglialoroThe baseball team features two players who hit and pitch, a rarity at the college level. Nick Shenefelt and Kaden Kram each took unique paths to playing both ways this season.
The baseball team features two players who hit and pitch, a rarity at the college level. Nick Shenefelt and Kaden Kram each took unique paths to playing both ways this season.