|
Bucknell Claims 2009 Patriot League Golf Championship
April 26, 2009
Final Patriot League Championship Team Leaderboard
Final Patriot League Championship Individual Leaderboard
2009 Patriot League Golf Championship Page West Point, N.Y. - Behind a Patriot League record score of 208 from individual champion Andrew Cohen, Bucknell rallied on the final 18 holes on Sunday to surpass Navy and Army and capture the 2009 Patriot League Golf Championship at West Point Golf Course. The Bison won their third overall crown, all coming in the past four years. Bucknell earns the Patriot League's automatic bid to the NCAA Golf Regionals from May 14-16. The Bison claimed the crown by shooting a 292 on Sunday, eight strokes ahead of second-place Navy's score. Cohen led the way with the only under par round in the field with a 1-under 69. Bucknell finished the Championship with a score of 884 (+44), finishing five strokes ahead of the Mids (889/+49) and seven ahead of third-place and host Army (891/+51). Lehigh (899/+59), Lafayette (911/+71), Colgate (923/+83) and Holy Cross (952/+112) round out the field. Cohen entered Sunday's final round with a two-shot lead over Army's Matt Krembel, and ran away from the field by posting a 1-under 69 for the only round at or under par on the day. Cohen finished the Championship with a 2-under 208, taking Patriot League Player of the Year honors. He shot a 71-68-69 for the three rounds. The total of 208 is the best 54-hole mark in Patriot League Championship history, topping the record of 209 held by four players. Three of those four scores were posted at West Point Golf Course in 2002. Cohen finished eight strokes ahead of second place Krembel's 6-over 216. Lafayette's Tyler Ostrovsky and Navy's David Miller and Ryan Wielgus each tied for third with an 11-over 221 for the Championship. All five golfers earn First-Team All-Patriot League honors. Navy's Peter Reilly came in sixth place with a 13-over 223, earning Rookie of the Year honors as the top freshman finisher and also leading the group of Second-Team All-League selections. Lehigh's Duncan Zeiders (14-over 224) and Shane Gilroy (16-over 226) took the next two positions, while the final Second-Team All-League honors went to Bucknell's Brian Bartow and Army's William Park, who tied for ninth place with a 17-over 227 in the Championship. The Patriot League Coach of the Year award was split three ways, as Bucknell's Jim Cotner, Navy's Pat Owen and Army's Jimmy Ray Clevenger all shared the honor. Bucknell trailed Army by nine strokes after the first 18 holes on Saturday, but cut that deficit to four in the afternoon session and used Cohen's round to rally on Sunday. Bucknell also got a strong Sunday performance from Ben Mattingly, who tied for the second-best round in the field with a 73, and Bartow, who posted a 74. Mattingly finished the Championship in a tie for 11th. The Bison have finished in the top two in the Championship for five years in a row, with their previous titles coming in 2006 and 2007. Bucknell beat Navy by three strokes in 2007. Navy got a round of 73 from Tim Shield on Sunday, and also had a 74 from Reilly. Miller shot a 76 while Wielgus turned in a 77 as the Mids took three of the first six places in the Championship. Navy finished in the top two in the field for the third year in a row, but was unable to defend its 2008 title. Army's top round on Sunday came from Park, who recorded a 74. Krembel shot a 75, while Sam Walenz tallied a 76. Walenz tied for 11th in the field, as did teammate James Raymond. The Black Knights improved from a sixth-place finish in last year's Championship. Lehigh was fourth in the field, as the Mountain Hawks got rounds of 75 from Gilroy and Steve Suarez on Sunday. After Zeiders and Gilroy, Suarez and Dwight Diorio were the next-highest finishers for the Mountain Hawks by joining the five-way tie for 11th place. Ostrovsky's 76 was Lafayette's best round for the day. The Leopards improved on last year's seventh-place finish, and their fifth-place position was their top finish since a fourth-place showing in 2003. Colgate's top finish came from Ben Jessen, who tied for 20th place in the Championship. Montek Mayal, David Ake and Chase Williams all finished in the top 25 as well. Holy Cross' top finishers were James Widman and Tim McGovern, who tied for 32nd place in the Championship. Cohen became the first golfer in Patriot League history to earn both Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year honors, as he earned the Co-Rookie of the Year Award in 2007. The Bucknell junior also claimed his third All-League award, and second First-Team honor. Cohen became the 13th Patriot Leaguer to earn three All-League awards in his career, with an additional five claiming four All-League plaudits. Reilly is Navy's second straight Rookie of the Year winner, and the third in the past four years for the Mids. Cotner claims his fourth Coach of the Year honor, with each of the awards coming in the past five seasons. Owen leads all Patriot League coaches with seven Coach of the Year awards, and takes the honor for the second year in a row. Clevenger is a Patriot League Coach of the Year winner for the fourth time, and first since 2004. It is the first time the award has been split three ways. All five First-Team All-League finishers have now earned multiple spots on the team. Miller earned First-Team All-League honors for the second year in a row, while Ostrovsky and Krembel took First-Team plaudits after capturing a Second-Team nod last year. Miller was also named Patriot League Scholar-Athlete of the Year on Wednesday. Wielgus earned his second All-League honor after taking Second-Team All-League recognition in 2006. For a full individual and team leaderboard, see below, go the links at the top of the page or visit the 2009 Patriot League Golf Championship page. Final Patriot League Championship Team Leaderboard
1. Bucknell 295-297-292 = 884 (+44) Final Patriot League Championship Individual Leaderboard
1. Andrew Cohen, Bucknell 71-68-69 = 208 (-2) Patriot League Player of the Year: Andrew Cohen, Bucknell Patriot League Rookie of the Year: Peter Reilly, Navy Patriot League Coach of the Year: Jimmy Ray Clevenger, Army; Jim Cotner, Bucknell; Pat Owen, Navy Patriot League Scholar-Athlete of the Year: David Miller, Navy First-Team All-Patriot League: Andrew Cohen, Bucknell; Matt Krembel, Army; Tyler Ostrovsky, Lafayette; David Miller, Navy; Ryan Wielgus, Navy Second-Team All-Patriot League: Peter Reilly, Navy; Duncan Zeiders, Lehigh; Shane Gilroy, Lehigh; Brian Bartow, Bucknell; William Park, Army
|
