It is sad to say, but the beloved West Chester men’s golf season has come to a close. As fall dwindles, so does the Golden Rams’ golf season.
After an impressive win at the Bud Elwell Invitational last week, the team looked to take that momentum with them to the PSAC Championships. The PSAC Championship was held at the gorgeous Links at Hershey Golf Club. This highly awarded course features 175 acres of challenging links for a golfer of any level. The par-72 course would be just another challenge for the Golden Rams. West Chester has shown all season that they are a competitive club that has potential to win tournaments if they keep their scores below 80.
After day one at the PSAC Championships, West Chester had control of second place in the tournament. Junior Ryan Fogel brought his “A” game on day one with an even par performance of 72. This score would leave him tied for second individually for the tournament. For Fogel, this was the best performance he has had all year. Equally interesting is that Fogel shot an even par 72 at the PSAC Championships last year in the first round. The kid has a flare for the dramatic when his team needs it the most.
Freshman Zach Boe would card a two over performance of 74 in his PSAC Championship debut. His freshman counterpart Drew Patterson also shot 74 on the day, and the freshman dynamic duo would be tied for eighth place after their performance. Corey Smith carded a 76 on day one. This four over par score would give him a tie for 19th individually. Eric Slawter finished his day one by carding an 82 on the day for the Rams.
West Chester as a team only trailed PSAC rival Millersville by three strokes. Millersville’s team posted a 293 as West Chester posted a 296. This was one of West Chester’s best finishes for the first round this season. Besides the first place finish on day one last weekend, this had to be their best day one performance.
This is an uphill battle for the Golden Rams because six-time defending PSAC Champions Indiana University of Pennsylvania was sitting right next to West Chester in the leaderboard at third place. Harry Hammond’s squad is looking to win their first PSAC championship since 2006.
Transitioning to day two, the team’s stroke total went up by five as they finished in a tie for third in the PSAC championships. It was a hard fought battle as the new recruit freshmen stepped up along with their veteran teammates. Patterson improved his first round score by one stroke as he carded a 73 on the final day of the tournament. His 36-hole score would be 147, which would also lead the team in scoring. Patterson would finish fifth individually.
Freshman teammate Boe would shoot a three over 75 on the day. He would finish two strokes behind Patterson with a 149 for the tournament. Boe finished in eighth place individually. Fogel carded an 81 on day two. The second place spot he held on day one would vanish as his nine- stroke increase would put him at 16th overall individually. His 36-hole total was a 153. On the flip side, Slawter shaved nine strokes off his day one performance and finished the day with a one over performance of 73. Slawter would finish 24th in the individual standings with his tournament score of 155. Smith would also have an increase in score, as he would go up four strokes from the previous day to finish the round with an 80. This would give him a 36-hole total of 156. Smith would find himself at 29th on the individual leaderboard.
A quick side note is that in the top 10, the Golden Rams’ freshmen stars sit fifth and eighth. Even though West Chester did not win the PSAC, one should have faith that next year these up-and -coming stars will be competitive for the following next three years.
West Chester’s 301 team total was just not enough to capture a PSAC championship. A top five finish is respectable, but head coach Hammond was vying for that championship after his team performed so well in the previous week’s tournament. The Golden Rams finished the tournament with an overall score of 597. They trailed behind Millersville and California University of Pennsylvania. Millersville was the champion as they signed for 593, and California would sign at 595.
Overall, West Chester was not far behind their rivals. In fact, the scores from both days were some of the best scores as a team they have had all year. Unfortunately, they ran into some very good PSAC teams that outperformed them in the tournament. Overall, West Chester’s season was a success. Numerous top five finishes in tournaments really boosts the program. This makes it easier to recruit rising high school stars to join the ranks of West Chester University golf.
A special congratulations goes out to the seniors on the team. Ashcraft had a tremendous year for the Rams as he was consistently one of the better scorers on the team. His veteran presence will be missed next year. Even though West Chester was not crowned Champions of the PSAC this season, there is a certain feeling that comes from this team that they will win a championship sooner rather than later.
Michael Murphy is a first-year student majoring in communication studies. He can be reached at MM802071@wcupa.edu
Tue. Apr 23rd, 2024
