April 18, 2010

• 2010 Navy Spring Golf Invitational - Final Results

ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- Led by individual winner Ben Hayes (Carmichael, Calif.), the Navy golf team held off a rallying Bucknell squad to capture the 31st annual Navy Spring Golf Invitational Sunday afternoon at the United States Naval Academy Golf Course in Annapolis. The Bison shot the low round of the day, an 8-over par 292, but it was not enough as the Mids captured the tournament title for the fifth time with a two-round, 24-over par 592.

Navy built a lofty lead in the opening round, scoring a 2-over par 286, the second-lowest score and score to par in the tournament's history. That cushion aided the Mids in the second round as they fought the wind and had a tough time managing the greens, ironically two elements in which Navy seemed to master in the opening round.

"Windy conditions made the golf course difficult again today, and we struggled a bit around the greens," said Navy head coach Pat Owen. "However, the guys were able to pull it together coming down the stretch and make some key birdies and pars. Bucknell made a great run today, but I was proud of the composure our players displayed."

The Mids turned in the fourth-lowest score on Sunday with a 22-over par 592, a four-stroke advantage over the second-place Bison (304-292 -- 596). Columbia fell back to third with a two-round 602 (+34), while Lafayette (603, +35) and St. Francis (Pa.) (605, +37) rounded out the top five of the 21-team tournament.

Though he was unable to match his spectacular opening-round performance of a 4-under par 67, Hayes managed a 4-over par to finish even and win his second collegiate individual title, ironically both at the Navy Spring Invitational. His par score of 142 goes down in the record books as the 12th-lowest score in the tournament's history. Hayes won the individual title by one stroke over Columbia's Clark Granum (71-72 -- 143).

"It's tough to follow up a great round like Ben had yesterday with another low score," said Owen. "But he fought extremely hard today and made a terrific 25-foot putt on the 18th hole to win the individual title. He came through when he most needed to."

Team captain Michael Harrigan (Moorestown, N.J.) turned in his best effort of his Navy career with a third-place finish alongside Lafayette's Josh Edelson. Harrigan, who was fourth after the opening round, turned in a 3-over par 74 in the second round to push up into third with a final mark of 146 (+4).

Sophomores Tyler Kuhn (Louisville, Ky.) and Peter Reilly (Merrimack, N.H.) tied for 18th with a 10-over par 152. Reilly began the final round in a dead heat for second, but he seemed to fight his game throughout the day. By day's end, Reilly shot a 10-over par 81, slipping out of the top 10. Meanwhile, Kuhn produced a pair of 76's to solidify his place in the lineup and to post his first career top 20 finish. His performance, in particular, was instrumental in Navy's win, as he played the last 10 holes with a 1-over par to help preserve the Navy victory.

Meanwhile, sophomore Tim Shield (Grosse Pointe Park, Mich.) rounded out the Navy blue squad, placing 54th with a 16-over par 158 (76-82).

The Navy gold team also struggled in Sunday's final round, dropping from its three-way time with Iona and Lehigh into 12th with a 62-over par 630 (311-319). Anchoring the gold team was second-year standout Andrew Haines (Kirtland, Ohio), who placed 18th with a 10-over par 152. Haines sat in fourth after the first round with a 1-over par 72, but had to settle for a top-20 finish after scoring a 9-over par 80 over the final 18 holes. It was the best finish of his career.

Junior Rob Merkert produced the low round of the day for the Navy gold squad, shooting a 7-over par 78. Merkert, though, dropped from 29th in the standings to 36th with a two-round 155 (+13). Rounding out the Navy gold squad were Collier Jones (Little Rock, Ark.) in 67th (161, +19), Matthew Hardie (Arnold, Md.) in 85th (164 +22) and John Moore (Winnetka, Ill.) in 87th (165, +23).

Finally, the Navy white team gained one spot in the final standings, moving up to 18th from 19th despite playing with just four players. A team made up of all freshmen, Christopher Ceconi (Vienna, Va.) continued to lead the way for the white squad. Ceconi opened the day in 14th after scoring a 4-over par 75. He closed out the tournament with an 18th-place finish thanks to a 10-over par 152. Pat Collins (Floral Park, N.Y.), meanwhile, moved up in the standings, darting up from 37th to 28th after shaving off three strokes from his first-round score. Collins shot a 4-over par 75 in the second round to finish 11-over for the tournament. Chris Reed (Springfield, Ohio) placed 91st with a 168 (+26), while Keegan Merkert (Severna Park, Md.) finished 101st with a 178 (+36).

The Midshipmen will return to action next weekend when they begin their quest to win the program's sixth Patriot League title. The 2010 Patriot League Golf Championship will be held next Saturday and Sunday at Seven Oaks Golf Club in Hamilton, N.Y.