Men seek Ivy title to advance to tourney

Princeton's three-time defending Ivy League Champion men's golf team will take to the course this weekend trying to win its fourth straight championship title.

The Tigers have won the last two Ivy titles at Ballyowen Golf Club, but this year they will leave the friendly confines of Vernon, N.J., for the bright lights of Atlantic City and the Galloway National Golf Club. The course was designed by world-famous golf architect Tom Fazio and was opened in 1994. Golf Digest ranked Galloway National 74th in the country in its prestigious top 100 rankings.

The Princeton men will have their work cut out for them this year as they face a much-improved Ivy League field.

"Our toughest competition will come from Columbia, who has been playing very well this year," senior co-captain John Sawin said.

Yale and Penn have deepened their lineups, however, and have given the Tigers trouble all season.

Princeton has amassed only a 3-6 record against Ivy League competition over the fall and spring seasons, but the team is peaking at the right time, going 2-0 against Ivy League competition last weekend at the Princeton Invitational.

The men's head-to-head record against Columbia is square at 2-2, while against Penn the team is 1-1, and against Yale it is 0-1.

"While we did not play well early on in the season, we have really come together as a team to play much better golf over the past few weeks. I can't wait for us to tee it up and try for a fourth straight title," senior co-captain Brent Herlihy said.

The Tigers will need leadership from its senior veterans, but the true key to a victory this weekend is in the hands of its younger players.

"This team has a lot of talent, and it is also very young," coach Will Green said. "We need our seniors to lead the way for our freshman and sophomores with strong play right from the beginning."

This tournament will make or break the Tigers' season, since an Ivy Championship and an automatic bid to the NCAA Regional tournament hang in the balance.

Without a win this weekend, Princeton will fail to qualify for the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2003.

Women to finish strong

Get the best of the ‘Prince’ delivered straight to your inbox. Subscribe now »

The Tiger women will also tee it up this weekend at the Ivy League Championship. This season has already been one to remember with three tournament wins and two second-place finishes, and Princeton is looking to maintain its impressive record and add an Ivy title to its growing trophy collection.

On the individual side, the Princeton women have all had impressive results.

Junior Annika Welander has carded two individual titles this season, winning the Princeton Invitational and the Yale Invitational back-to-back. Sophomore Susannah Aboff is coming off her first intercollegiate individual title at the Hoya Invitational, an event she won by one shot over three other players.

"The team is really fired up this weekend," senior captain Caitlin Sullivan said. "Coach [Amy] Bond is ready to go with a great game plan, and everyone is looking forward to a strong performance."

As with the men, a win at the Ivy Championship will guarantee an invitation to the NCAA tournament. But an at-large bid isn't likely given the team's performance so far this season.

Even if the women are not able to bring home the title, however, an NCAA tournament is very probable in the team's future due to their strong play throughout the regular season.