Tigers are 17th at Yale course

For the first time in over 30 years, the men's golf team traveled to New Haven, Conn., to play on Yale's infamous golf course, which was designed by Charles Blair Macdonald. The Yale Fall Invitational boasted 26 teams and two rounds of play on a par-70 course. The Tigers tied for 17th; while junior Drew Maliniak was Princeton's top finisher, tying for 15th.

TCU beat Yale by five strokes, and Yale's Taylor Hakes claimed the individual title at two over par.

The course at Yale is considered one of the best, if not the best, collegiate golf courses in the country. It is also renowned for its difficulty, partially because there is no other course like it on which to train. Princeton ran into some difficulty trying to navigate the many levels of its large greens and narrow fairways.

"The greens are so huge that your approach shot is key," sophomore Jake Skinner said. "All of these greens have different tables and slopes, and if you're not on the right level of the green, then you are in trouble. On most courses, if you hit the green, you're in good shape. It's not the same on this course."

The old-style course presented a challenge to the Tigers, as they do not typically play on courses with such a distinct style of play. But there were instances during the weekend when Princeton regained some of its swagger.

"There were some good moments," Skinner said. "I mean, everyone was starting to gain more experience. The best thing about this tournament is that it helps teach our young team how to focus and compete."

Maliniak had an impressive run on the front nine during the first round of play Saturday. He was two under as he teed off on the 10th hole and was poised to claim the individual lead. His momentum faded on the back nine, however, as he was set back by a few weak bogeys and was tired after the mentally taxing slow pace of play. He finished the day at even-par.

"Because it was a links-inspired golf course with a lot of blind shots, you got some good bounces and bad bounces," Maliniak said. "It was tough to adjust to that, plus when you are only playing 36 holes and it is a slow pace of play, you have to dwell on each shot. It was all about focusing on the present and taking one shot at a time."

Sophomore Juan Pablo Candela was Princeton's next highest finisher. He tied for 68th after shooting an 81 and 75. Skinner tied for 92nd, and freshman Eric Salazar made his collegiate debut tying for 104th. Junior Max Schecter rounded out the Tiger squad, finishing in 118th place.

"Salazar still needs some seasoning," Maliniak said, "but he's a big kid, [and] he's a bomber. He's definitely going to be qualifying for tournaments in the future. I think he's there; his performance this weekend didn't reflect how well he is playing."

The tournament provided more exposure to some of Princeton's top Ivy rivals as well, as Yale, Dartmouth, Harvard, Columbia and Brown all competed at the tournament. Princeton is looking forward to a rematch against them in the spring, when they will be competing for the Ivy League title and a bid to regionals.

"It still teaches us a lot and helps us get better," Maliniak said. "We need to make sure that we are beating these Ivy League teams in the spring. We're building towards that."