The No. 7-ranked Eagles placed ninth of 15 teams while hosting the Emory Spring Invitational this past week. Emory's "B" team, also known as the "blue" team, finished in 10th place. The two-day event was played April 1-2 at the 6,860-yard, par-72 Druid Hills Golf Club. At the Invitational, Oglethorpe University took first place with a score of 571 (287-284), Methodist University (N.C.) placed second with 578 (285-293) and Huntingdon College (Ala.) finished third at 589 (299-290).
The Eagles finished out their home tournament with a score of 609 (304-305). The blue team was two strokes behind with a 611 mark (308-303).
"It was a really tough event for the Eagles," Head Coach John Sjoberg said. "We did not play very well either day as a team, but the one bright spot was Wunderlich's round on Monday."
Spearheading the team, sophomore Alex Wunderlich carded a 148 (71-77) in the 36-hole event. Wunderlich's one-under score on Monday was the most notable Eagle performance, leading to a 16th place finish in a field of 78 players.
"The greens were aerated a few weeks ago, and the weather prevented them from healing fully, so there was a bit of luck involved in putts," Wunderlich said. "I fought off a couple bad holes to stay in it and finish under par."
Junior Johnathan Chen followed with an eight-over mark of 152 (77-75), good for 32nd place.
"We wish we played better, but there are always positives to be taken from a poor performance," Chen said. "We need to not take anything for granted and reset to focusing on the Navy Invitational coming up in a couple weeks."
Senior David Collura wrapped up his last home tournament as an Eagle with a two-day score of 154 (79-75).
"David's been a great asset to the team on and off the course," Chen said. "His seniority and knowledge over the years really has helped guide the team in a better direction, and I look forward to playing with him in these last two events."
Juniors Alec Berens and Will Roth rounded out the team's scores with 155 (77-78) and 160 (81-79), respectively.
Leading the team on the blue side, freshman Jonathan Gerrard took 19th place with a score of 150 (76-74). Freshmen Max Goodley 152 (75-77) and Jack Williams 152 (79-73) both tied for 32nd place. Freshmen Vince Sirianni and Andrew Namkoong followed with scores of 159 (80-79) and 160 (78-82), respectively.
"Overall the event was a great success," Sjoberg said. "The Druid Hills Golf Club, their members and staff were great hosts and we look forward to continuing the Emory Invitational there next year. We now have plenty of motivation for the Naval Academy event in two weeks."
The Eagles return to action on April 20-21 at the Navy Spring Invitational, held at the U.S. Naval Academy Golf Club in Annapolis, Md. This will be their final tournament before the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III Championships.
"The team played consistently, but we weren't firing on all cylinders," Wunderlich said. "I think our games are all in a good place though, and I'm confident that we can play with any team. It's going to be a solid Division I field, so I'm excited to go to Annapolis and see how the team stacks up."
– By Seanette Ting
