Trio of Tigers shares 11th at Princeton Invitational

After sweeping the 14-team Hoya Invitational, the Tigers seemed poised to be major players during the Ivy League Championship. Last weekend’s disappointing sixth-place finish during the Roar-EE Invitational, however, begs the question of whether Princeton has the skills needed to bring home a championship.

Back at home, the Princeton Invitational gave the men’s golf team a chance to demonstrate its mettle early in the spring season. The Tigers weathered a big storm on Friday night that made conditions less than ideal, tying for second place. Ultimately, it was another storm that denied Princeton its storybook ending — namely St. John’s. The Red Storm held off the Tigers on Sunday to secure a four-shot victory.

Competing in its last match before the Ivy League Championships this weekend, the women’s team faced off against 14 other teams including Brown, Harvard, Yale and host Columbia at the Hampshire Country Club in Mamaroneck, N.Y. In Princeton’s final chance to prove that it is a force to be reckoned with, the Tigers played a grueling 36 holes Friday and 18 Saturday.

Princeton struggled on the difficult course, as did most of its competition. No scores were posted in the red, and there was a particularly widespread field.

“We did not play very well,” junior Susannah Aboff said. “The conditions of the green weren’t very good, and it contributed to us losing confidence throughout the match. We had hopes to beat Columbia and Harvard and try to scare them before the Ivies, but we were just having a lot of problems.”

The Tigers finished sixth as a team. In terms of individual performances, Brigham Young’s Natalia Jimenez won the tournament at plus 16, while Aboff placed highest among Princeton golfers, finishing third at plus 21. Aboff’s play improved as the tournament progressed, as she carded an 81, a 77 and a 76.

“I had a tough time in the first round,” Aboff said. “After I got used to it, I didn’t play great, but I played a little better. It was a really funky little golf course that took a lot of thinking — you couldn’t just hit the ball anywhere.”

Though the Tigers’ finish this weekend may not have given them the confidence boost they had hoped for heading into the championship, it will give them a chance to make any last-minute improvements.

“We are going to use this week to build on what we’ve learned,” junior Marlowe Boukis said. “We need to avoid compounding our mistakes. If we get in trouble, we have to learn to pull ourselves back together. This tournament was disappointing, but the big deal is this weekend.”

Boukis tied for 22nd at plus 29, followed by sophomore Michelle Grilli, who tied for 30th at plus 31. Rounding out the team scorers were freshmen Kate Scarpetta at plus 41 and Maggie Boberg at plus 53. Freshman Rachel Blum competed individually and finished at plus 50.

On the men’s side, a trio of strong performances powered the Tigers to a second-place finish. Juniors Max Schechter and Drew Maliniak, who is also a staff writer for The Daily Princetonian, tied for 11th place at plus four, a distinction they shared with precocious freshman Evan Harmeling.

“Even though we didn’t win, we did have the most birdies out of any team in the field,” Schechter said. “And we did beat Cornell, Columbia and Penn.”

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Schechter had a difficult final day, carding a 79 after scoring 67 and 71 in the opening rounds. Nonetheless, he’s confident that he can get back on track by next weekend.

“I’ve been playing well all spring, and Sunday was really the only poor ball-striking day I can remember since February,” Schechter said. “The key for me is to stay focused and concentrate on my chipping and putting, which have been strong all season.”

Sophomore Juan Pablo Candela was Princeton’s fourth scorer, at plus 12, while sophomore Jake Skinner finished the tournament at plus 26. Competing individually, sophomore Tom Klingman and freshman Eric Salazar scored plus 20 and plus 21, respectively.

Next weekend, the men’s and women’s teams will compete in their respective Ivy League Championship tournaments. The men travel to Galloway, N.J., for their competition, while the women play at Atlantic City Country Club in Northfield, N.J.