By DREW CASEY
STAFF WRITER
After a brutal winter, the Fordham golf team has teed it up again. However, it has not been easy.
“It’s definitely been tough getting back into the swing of things,” said junior Brian Engstrom when asked about the cold.
On the other hand, Drew Dufresne embraced the semi-warmer weather. “Sticking to a somewhat altered routine and being confident that the work in the gym was going to help my game on the course mentally and physically was huge in trying to stay fresh,” Dufresne said.
Following a spring break training trip to Florida, the team began its season on Monday and Tuesday, March 31 and April 1, at the Villanova Wildcat Invitational in Malvern, Pa. In a 16-team field, the squad struggled and finished 14th in the 54-hole event.
Senior co-captain Brandon Nolan led the way for the Rams in the first tournament of the year and tied his best single round score with a third round one-under par 70. Nolan’s performance pushed his final standing to 22nd place.
Junior co-captain Jeff Hogan finished in a tie for 46th with rounds of 78, 77 and 78. Dufresne was third best for the Rams and finished five shots behind Hogan. Junios Ben Alcon and Engstom rounded out the team. Bill Fitzpatrick also competed in the tournament as an individual.
Less than a week later, the team was much more successful. The squad placed fifth at the Rhody Invitational in Portsmouth, R.I. on Saturday, April 5 and Sunday, April 6.
Dufresne led the way for Fordham, posting a seven-over par 36-hole score, and finished in a tie for sixth place.
Ryan Donahue, competing as an individual, was second best for the Rams and finished in a tie for 14th place.
Nolan finished just behind Donahue in a tie for 17th place after posting a cumulative score of 12-over par.
“The team played well the first day at Rhody, and struggled a bit the second day,” Nolan said. “It’s definitely a good sign, though, as I think our games are coming back after the long winter, and we should be able to be a bit more consistent next week.”
Engstrom tied for 26th place, while both Jeff Hogan and Ben Alcorn shot 18 over par. Freshman Fernando Morett also competed as an individual and finished in a tie for 39th place.
The team will continue its season on Saturday and Sunday, April 12 and 13, at the New England Division I Golf Championships. Then, following an event in New Haven, Conn., the team will compete in the Atlantic 10 Golf Championships in Lutz, Fla.
“As far as the next two weeks, we hope to just continue to improve before our conference tournament so that when we get to Florida, we feel as sharp as possible,” Hogan said. “The spring golf season is preparation and a sprint towards those three days in Florida.”
