Penn State Lehigh Valley @ Penn State Wilkes-Barre Invitational
The Penn State Lehigh Valley golf team struggled for the first time this season as they placed fifth at the Penn State Wilkes-Barre Invitational.
Sophomore Shane Rhodes provided the team's best score of 85 at the private Irem Country Club in Dallas, PA. Junior James Burgess was the only other Penn State Lehigh Valley player to break 100, posting a hard-earned 98. Sophomores David Caffrey and Martin Dawson both carded an even 100 to round out the team score.
"You can't imagine how fast these greens were," said sophomore Nate Bloomfield reflecting on the match, pointing out that "the top seeded player for the home team today actually walked off the course half way through his round."
Head coach Brian Exton cautiously echoed that sentiment. "At one point we [coaches] watched a group take fifteen putts to finish on the 12th green. Another player four-putted the par-3 17th after hitting his tee shot to within about ten feet. It was brutal, to be sure. But everyone played under the same conditions, so there's obviously some work left for us so that we can finish stronger in our final two events."