Fordham finished off their 2021 season by placing ninth out of 10 teams with a final score of 921 in the Atlantic 10 Championship at Reunion Golf Club in Kissimmee, Florida. They beat La Salle University to stay out of the basement but fell way short of St. Bonaventure University, the team above them on the board. Their role players stepped up while sophomore John Kryscio struggled to get rolling early. All in all, the Rams had a successful season in 2021 and will look to improve upon this finish next spring. 

After day one of the three-day event, the University of Dayton led at 285 (-3), eight shots above the University of Rhode Island Rams who occupied second place. Henry May’s -5 score paced the Flyers out of the gate. Fordham was in ninth after round one, one shot clear of the Explorers. They were led by sophomore Nicholas Manning with a season low score of 76. Manning struggled all year long before the Abarta Coca-Cola Invitational a few weeks back where he tied for fourth.  Kryscio came in one shot behind Manning, and sophomore Peter O’Rourke was one shot behind him. Sophomores Tomas Nieves and Andreas Aivazoglou shot in the 80s. 

Day two saw Nieves and Aivazoglou bounce back with rounds of 75 and 79, respectively, Kryscio shot a matching 77, Manning struggled to a 78 and O’Rourke improved by one shot. They pushed the distance between them and La Salle to two shots, but were unable to make up any ground on any of the teams above them. George Washington University had a 21 shot advantage on the Rams heading into the third round, basically locking Fordham into the nine spot with 18 holes to go. 

The Rams played well in their final round of the season. They picked up four shots on La Salle and kept the distance above them to 21 shots. After the poor play on the first two days, Aivazoglou shot a 73, among the best of his season. Nieves led the way with a three-day score of 230, good enough for a nice T-35 finish for the lone senior competing with the team in Florida. 

The Rams leaned on Kryscio all season long because of his consistency and flashes of brilliance. He shot three consecutive 77s this week for a final total of 231, but for a player coming out of nowhere as a sophomore, he has been exactly what the Rams needed for this season. 

Looking toward next year, Nieves’ departure will sting the group for sure, but they are in a great position to improve once again in the 2021-22 season. For many, this will be their first full season as a college golfer and their stamina will be tested. I do anticipate improvement for the Rams next season, but the A-10 is turning into a great golf conference and Fordham will need to improve in order to keep pace with the other teams.

After their great Day one start, Dayton struggled on Day two, leaving the door open for Davidson College, who won the Championship with a final score of 859. They topped the Flyers by nine shots, led by a great day two performance of 276, 19 shots better than Dayton. 

Congratulations are in order for the Wildcats, who won their second Championship, following their victory at the 2018 tournament. They now await Wednesday’s selection show to see where they will go in the NCAA Tournament. Dayton’s Henry May will also participate in the tournament as an individual after he was the lowest scorer at the A-10s. 

Fordham’s season might be over, but they leave with their heads held high for an improved season in 2021.