The 2015 Emory Spring Invitational finished this Tuesday, with the Emory men’s golf team tying with Greensboro College (N.C.) for sixth place, out of 13 teams. The event consisted of 36 holes, which was played at the 7059-yard, par-72 Barnsley Gardens Resort in Adairsville, Ga.
The tournament was divided into two days with the Eagles shooting a total of 615 after the second day. On the first day, the Eagles shot a combined 310 points from its top four players, bringing their average mark to a solid 77.5 or 5.5 over par. On the second day, Emory shot a stronger total of 305, with an average of 76.25.
“We played pretty well,” senior Alex Wunderlich said. “We did a good job of baling each other out, the first day a couple of us played well, while a few of us didn’t, and then the next day, the reverse happened. The problem is, we haven’t been consistent. We have a hard time having two really strong rounds in a row.”
Methodist University (N.C.) won the tournament with a total mark of 592. Berry College (Ga.) finished second with a mark of 601. Methodist junior Jackson Collier tied with Guilford College's (N.C.) John Grimes for the tournaments strongest performance. Collier shot 72 the first day and 72 the second, finishing par for the tournament while Grimes shot 74 the first day and 70 the second.
Emory Junior Vince Sirianni continued his strong performance, shooting a round under par for the second tournament in a row. In the first round, Sirianni shot a 75, or a respectable three over par, while in the second round he shot a 70, for two under par. On the second day, his total was brought to 145 for the tournament, making him the top Eagle performer and the tournament’s third best performing athlete overall.
“These last couple weeks, I’ve been working to get my swing right,” Sirianni said. “I’ve been feeling more comfortable with it recently. I was playing alright, but in the back nine of the second day, I made some ridiculous length putts. I think one of them was 50 feet or so, that really helped my score.”
Wunderlich rebounded after a poor performance last tournament to finish with a total score of 151 over two rounds, finishing six over par in the first round and one over par in the second. By the end of the tournament, he finished in second place on the Emory squad.
Freshman Keenan Hickton finished third in the Emory lineup. He shot 78 the first round and 81 the second round for a combined mark of 159, or 15 over par. Sophomore Sam Nichamin shot 79 the first day and 82 the second for a total mark of 161, or 17 over par. He finished fourth in the Eagle lineup.
Emory returns to action for its final match from April 18 to 19, when the team will compete at the Wolfpack Spring Invitational in Raleigh, N.C.
Emory Ties for Sixth at Spring Invite
Junior Vince Sirianni follows through with his swing. Sirianni and the Eagles tied for sixth place at the Emory Spring Invitational at the Barnsley Gardens Resort in Adairsville, Ga. | Courtesy of Emory Athletics
