By Kyle Kandetzki – Assistant sports editor
The Hofstra men’s golf team traveled to Connecticut, as well as upstate New York for the Hartford Hawks Invitational and the Tuxedo Autumn Invitational. In Conn., the Pride came out with a tie for seventh, while in NY, Hofstra was the runner-up.
After only two days of rest following a sixth place performance at Rutgers, Hofstra visited South Kent, Conn., along with 18 other schools. The Pride progressively improved over the event’s two days, shooting the lowest final round of all teams.
Hofstra was in ninth place after day one, with David Mecca and Brandon Shin leading the way with a two-round average of 76. A surprise came from Sean Cavanaugh who shot a 77 to put him up with the Pride’s top duo.
The final round was where Hofstra shined, with their three top golfers dropping six, four and eight strokes from their previous round respectively. A 70 from David Mecca placed him in 10th overall, while Brandon Shin’s 71 tied him for 11th.
David Won’s major improvement in the final round, with a 71, shot him up to 37th overall after shooting high 70’s the day before. Cavanaugh struggled in his final, shooting an 81, his highest of the event, while Jonathan Farber pulled in last for the Pride and 87th in the individual competition.
Hartford won their home event, with the University of Central Florida and UConn close behind. The Pride tied with the University of Rhode Island and Bryant University.
In a sport where competitions are typically spaced out, the Pride geared up for double duty this week.
Hofstra returned to their typical weekend slot for an event in the nine-team Tuxedo Autumn Invitational. The course was much more difficult on competitors, with players rarely shooting under the par of 71.
The competition, which had 51 individual players in it, saw Shin rise to one of his best performances of the year, shooting a +10 to take a tie for fourth overall. Won and Mecca also turned in impressive performances, Won taking eighth with a +12 and Mecca taking 16th with a +17.
Mecca has had an especially successful year, as the senior captain has averaged several strokes below his career average.
Cavanaugh continued to show promise as he trailed Mecca by only five strokes with a +22, while Luke Smith returned to competition with a +42.
Hofstra’s overall second place finish trailed champions Columbia University by only eight strokes, 905 to 913. Columbia also had the overall winner, Brandon Jowers, who was the only individual to shoot a single round under par (-1).
The Pride now turns to a full week off before competing in their penultimate competition, the Binghamton Invitational in Apalachin, NY. on Sunday, Oct. 5.
Women’s golf will also return to action on Monday, Oct. 6 for the St. John’s Invitational. The two day event will begin a doubleheader of their own.
Women’s golf will then travel to the Rutgers Women’s Invitational on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 10 and 11. The team is looking to rebound from last week’s 12th place finish in the Chesapeake Bay Invitational in Annapolis, Md.
