For the Penn State men's golf team, hosting an event on its home course seemed to be just what it needed to try to get the 2006 season headed in the right direction.
Frustrated by a season filled with disappointing results, the Nittany Lions were able to put together a solid performance on the Blue and White Courses this weekend and achieve a fourth-place finish in a field of 15 teams at the Rutherford Intercollegiate.
The Lions were coming off a last-place finish at the Kepler Intercollegiate, but were able to rebound nicely and set themselves up for a potential run in the Big Ten Championships next week.
Penn State finished with a combined team score of 903, putting them in a tie for fourth place with Miami (Ohio). Eastern Michigan won comfortably, posting a total of 892, but the Lions were only two strokes out of second place.
"We play so well every year at our home event," senior Greg Pieczynski said. "No matter how things are going, once we get onto our home track everything seems to change."
And that was exactly how things played out for the team this weekend. Penn State put the season's earlier slip-ups behind them and played solid golf that kept them in the running the whole time.
Freshman Matt Leon was the team's top finisher, carding a seven-over-par 223 that put him in seventh place overall. Sophomore Harvin Groft was 10-over for the tournament. Pieczynski ended up at 11-over, while sophomore Robert Rohanna and junior John Aubrey finished at 14- and 21-over, respectively.
Penn State's Patrick Marshalek, playing individually, finished sixth at 6-over for the tournament.
The Lions had to contend with inclement weather that eventually halted Saturday's play. The second round was moved back to yesterday because of the conditions on the course.
But the weather was not enough to hold the team back. Penn State capitalized on its role as the tournament's host and made the most of playing on its home course.
"Any time you get in your familiar surroundings it's a big advantage," Pieczynski said.
The Lions' tee times on the first day forced them to deal with the brunt of the storm. After Saturday's round, they found themselves tied for 11th after posting a team score of 317. They came back strong yesterday, though, with rounds of 292 and 294 to get near the top of the leaderboard.
Penn State's fourth-place showing was by far its best of the year. Prior to the Rutherford Intercollegiate, it had not finished better than 14th. With the Big Ten Championships next week, it could not have come at a better time. If this play carries over to the championships, Penn State could make some noise next week.
