April 18, 2009

• 2009 Navy Spring Invitational - Rd 1

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Severna Park, Md., native Robert Merkert shot a 2-over par 73 to anchor a Navy white squad that shot a 19-over par 303 and is tied for seventh out of 18 teams following the opening round of the two-day, 36-hole Navy Spring Invitational held Saturday afternoon at the Naval Academy Golf Club in Annapolis, Md. Navy's other two teams, the blue and gold squads, are tied 10th and 15th, respectively.

Binghamton narrowly leads the field with a 5-over par 289 and holds just a one-stroke advantage over Johnson & Wales. Patriot League foe Lehigh turned in an 11-over par 295 to grab the third spot, while Saint Joseph's and Saint Francis (Pa.) are tied for fourth with a 15-over par 299.

Patrick Donovan and Trevor Fiedler enjoyed success in the opening round for the Binghamton Bearcats with Donovan leading the pack with a 2-under par 69, while Fiedler is in a three-way tie for second with a par 71.

"There were some brights spots for us today, particularly from some of the younger players," said Navy head coach Pat Owen. "While perhaps we aren't as high as we would have liked to have been after the first day, I really feel like we will be able to improve upon our scores tomorrow. We have a great mixture of experience and youth and it's encouraging to see the two groups feed off of one another."

If one were to rank Navy's three teams, the white squad would be the least experienced. That, however, made little difference in round one, as the Navy white team turned in the low mark amongst the three Navy teams, a 19-over par 303. While Merkert stands tied for 10th at just two over, rookies Tim Shield (Grosse Pointe Park, Mich.) and Andrew Haines (Kirtland, Ohio) are deadlocked for 34th with a 5-over par 76. Rounding out the white squad are junior Joshua Howell (New Bern, N.C.) in 57th (+7, 78) and freshman Tyler Kuhn (Louisville, Ky.) in 77th (+10, 81).

Just a stroke behind the Navy white team is the Navy blue team or what one might deem the "A" team. Team captain David Miller (Chillicothe, Ohio) is atop that squad with a 3-over par 74 and stands 15th in the individual standings. Second-year standout Marcus Heyland (Fort Madison, Iowa) stands beside his Navy teammates in 34th with a 5-over par 76. Tied for 46th are senior Ryan Wielgus (Bethesda, Md.) and sophomore Josh Ziska (Camarillo, Calif.) who produced a 6-over par 77. Wielgus was well on his way to shooting under par after the opening nine holes, but the second nine were not as kind as he was 7-over. Senior Eric Stinson (Spotsylvania, Va.) was unable to get his game under control on Saturday as he sits in 93rd with a 16-over par 87.

Finally, the Navy gold squad stands 15th with a 27-over par 311, seven strokes behind Navy's blue team in 10th. Freshman Peter Reilly (Merrimack, N.H.) leads the way with a 4-over par 75 and is in 22nd place, while fellow rookie Collier Jones (Little Rock, Ark.) recorded a 6-over par 77 and stands in 46th place. Junior Michael Harrigan (Moorestown, N.J.) is a stroke behind Jones in 57th, while playing in his final tournament at home is John Montemayor (Woodbridge, Va.) who is in 77th place with a 10-over par 81. Senior Chip Hardie (Arnold, Md.) is the final member of the Navy gold squad and is 91st after producing a 15-over par 86.

Sophomore Matthew Hardie (Arnold, Md.) and junior John Moore (Winnetka, Ill.) are both competing as individuals in the tournament. Matt Hardie, the younger brother of All-Patriot League performer Chip Hardie, is tied for 46th with a 6-over par 77, while Moore recorded an 8-over par 79 to find himself in 64th place after 18 holes.

The Navy white squad will be first out on the links tomorrow with a 9:00 am tee time on the first hole. The Navy gold team will open play Sunday at 9:45 am from the 10th hole, while the Navy blue squad will also begin play on the back nine with a 10:30 am start.


### Go Navy ###