The Kepler Intercollegiate will possibly be the toughest field of the year for the Penn State men's golf team, but after last week's performance, it is unfazed by the daunting task.
"There are 10 teams from the Big Ten competing," Penn State head coach Greg Nye said, "and 12 teams in the field are ranked higher than us nationally."
After winning the Marshall Invitational last weekend, the Nittany Lions will look to knock off some of the best teams in their conference this weekend. The tournament will start tomorrow morning and finish Sunday at the Scarlet Course in Columbus, Ohio, the same course where the Big Ten Championships will be held in late April.
The Penn State men's golf team might need to play even better this weekend than it did during last week's tournament win to beat t
Penn State junior Robert Rohanna, who was named Big Ten Men's Co-Golfer of the Week after his victory at the Marshall Invitational, says the win last week will go a long way in benefiting the team in this event.
"Our confidence level is pretty good right now," Rohanna said. "A strong performance this weekend would do us well before the Big Ten Championships at the end of the month."
The Lions look to succeed on a course that is about 1,000 yards longer than the one they competed on last weekend.
Conditions will also play a factor in scoring as forecasts call for temperatures in the low 40s with rain and snow showers both days.
"We've been practicing in miserable conditions all week," Nye said. "Our practice rounds will really assist us in the upcoming match."
While the team's confidence level is high coming off a win, it realizes scoring will not be easy at the Scarlet Course.
"You can't get a lot of strokes back out there," Rohanna said. "Everyone has to take their medicine when they get in trouble, hit the middle of greens and make putts."
No matter what the outcome for the team is this week, Nye hopes the team will take some knowledge of the course with them for the Big Ten Championships.
"It's not that big of a deal if we don't play that well," Nye said. "I just want the team to get a good feel for the golf course and to keep their perspective."
