By DREW CASEY
STAFF WRITER
The weather has not been kind to the Fordham men’s golf team during this winter offseason. Since concluding its fall season back on Oct. 28 at the Lehigh Invitational, the team has had very few opportunities to practice outdoors. One would not expect them to have many chances to hit balls, but this winter has been more brutal than usual.
“As far as hitting balls goes, we haven’t been able to swing as much with how cold it’s been,” said junior co-captain Jeff Hogan. “In prior years, we’ve been able to go to the range and swing a little bit, but the cold weather hasn’t allowed for that this year.”
Despite the weather, the team has still made strides indoors. During the past four months, the team has worked out together, building strength and flexibility.
The team still has a substantial amount of time to practice before its season begins. Over spring break, the team will travel to a location with friendlier weather. For eight days, the Rams will practice at PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.
The team’s competitive schedule begins on March 31 with the 54-hole Villanova Wildcat Invitational and does not slow down. They will compete in five tournaments in 28 days.
Following the first tournament of the season in Malvern, Pa., the team will compete at the Rhody Invitational on April 5 and 6. Six days later, the team will participate in the New England Division I Golf Championships in Portsmouth, R.I. On Saturday April 19, and Sunday, April 20, they will compete at the Yale Spring Invitational. The final scheduled tournament of the season is the Atlantic 10 Golf Championships. The competition will be held April 25, 26 and 27, at TPC Tampa Bay in Lutz, Fla. The team will look to better its 12th place finish from last year at the conference championship.
Each member of the team is looking to improve his game and contribute to the team’s success. Junior Brian Engstrom recognizes what he needs to improve upon, but knows that it comes down to one thing in the end.
“I don’t care what anyone else says, it’s all about scores,” Engstrom said. “In golf, you’re really only measured by the number following your round. How each of us has to lower ours is different — mine happens to be tightening up the short game.”
Hogan shares these sentiments and believes that setting goals will help them improve both individually and as a team. “Some team improvements for this season are definitely building some chemistry,” said Hogan. “A way we’ve been able to do that is we’ve created some team goals for each tournament. Some of the goals we have are to improve our scores every tournament and try and finish out each round as best as we can.”
With this approach, the team hopes to be playing its best golf in time for the conference championship. Expected contributors include Ben Alcorn, Ryan Donahue, Drew Dufresne, Engstrom, Hogan, Fernando Morett and Brandon Nolan. Donahue and Nolan, the team’s two seniors, hope to end their careers with a solid season.
The team is coming off a semi-disappointing fall season. In seven fall tournaments, the team’s highest finish was fifth. Hogan registered the best individual performance, finishing with a tie for eighth at the Lehigh Invitational. The best round by a Ram golfer in the fall season was a 70. Hogan carded this score twice, while Nolan registered it once. The team hopes to shatter these marks in the spring season.
“It’s a short season, and coming off the winter break, it’s usually the more difficult of the two, but the tournament build-up to the conference championship is always an exciting time,” Hogan said.
The countdown to March 31 continues for Fordham golf. Fairways and greens are on the way.
