April 25, 2009

• 2009 Patriot League Championship - Rd 1 & 2

WEST POINT, N.Y. - Turning in its low 36 rounds of play this spring with a 29-over par 589, defending Patriot League Champion Navy trails Academy rival Army by just one stroke after two rounds of action at the 2009 Patriot League Men's Golf Championship held Saturday at the West Point Golf Course. Seniors Ryan Wielgus (Bethesda, Md.) and David Miller (Chillicothe, Ohio), along with freshman Peter Reilly (Merrimack, N.H.) are among the top 10 in the individual standings to keep the Mids in the hunt for the program's sixth Patriot League title.

Both Army and Navy opened the tournament with terrific first-round scores, as the Black Knights carded a 6-over par 286 and the Mids were a shot behind with a 7-over par 287. The programs looked to have put some distance between them and the rest of the field, as Bucknell and Lehigh recorded scores of 15 and 16-over par, respectively.

Things got interesting, however, in the second round as the two Academies each shot a 22-over par 302, while both Bucknell and Lehigh broke 300 to close the gap. Army narrowly leads Navy with a 28-over par 588, while Navy has maintained striking distance in second with its 29-over par 589. Meanwhile, Bucknell (+32, 592) is just three strokes behind the Midshipmen in third, while Lehigh is fourth with a 35-over par 595. Lafayette (+43, 603), Colgate (+60, 620) and Holy Cross (+70, 630) round out the field.

"We had a great team effort today," said six-time Patriot League Coach of the Year Pat Owen. "Our seniors, Ryan and David, played terrific. It was exactly what I thought they'd give us in terms of leadership both on and off the course. Ryan played like a champ and David's eagle on the 18th was terrific.

"We are happy to be in the thick of things heading into the final round," Owen added. "We are looking forward to the challenges of what the final round have to bring. This is a tough course and playing on Army's home course is a tall task. But I think we are up for the challenge."

Though Miller, the Mids' team captain shot the low round of the day for Navy, it was Wielgus who finished the first two rounds with Navy's low score thanks to six birdies. Wielgus opened the day with a 1-over par 71 and paired it with a 3-over par 77 to conclude the day in third place with a 4-over par 144. Miller, meanwhile, used a 4-iron on the 18th hole for an eagle to secure a 1-under par 69 in the opening round. He was one of four players on the afternoon to pitch an eagle. Miller entered the second round in first place in the individual standings, but slipped to fourth after posting a 6-over par 76 in the afternoon round to finish the day with a 5-over par 145.

Reilly, one of four Navy players who are competing in their first Patriot League Championship, stands eighth with a 9-over par 149. The rookie birdied the 17th and 18th holes in the opening round to produce a 2-over par 72. He followed up with a 7-over par 77, but remains among the top 10.

Sophomore Rob Merkert (Severna Park, Md.) and freshman Tim Shield (Grosse Pointe Park, Mich.) are among the top 10 and have the ability to quickly move up in the field. Merkert shaved two strokes off his score in the second round to finish the day 14-over, while Shield opened the tournament with a 5-over par 75. The second round proved to be a difficult one for the Navy newcomer, as he scored a 12-over par 82 and slipped to 27th in the standings with a a 17-over par 157.

Meanwhile, sophomore Marcus Heyland (Fort Madison, Iowa) was forced to withdraw from the competition after suffering a devastating wrist injury midway through the second round. Going into his 27th overall hole and ninth in the second round, Heyland was attempting to stroke his ball when his club made contact with a large boulder. Heyland received medical attention and will not be able to return to competition on Sunday.

"I'm certainly disappointed for Marcus," said Owen. "He was really playing well when he got hurt. I think the team is rallying around him and they really want to put forth a strong effort and win the tournament on his behalf."

The final round is slated to begin Sunday at 8:00 am with the winner of the two-day, 54-hole tournament receiving an automatic bid into one of the three NCAA regional tournaments. Army and Navy will be on the links beginning at 8:20 am.


### Go Navy ###