March 11, 2008
Aiken, S.C., March 11, 2008 - The Penn State men's golf team finished fourth in it first test of the spring season posting a final round of 293 at the 11th Annual Palmetto Intercollegiate, part of the Cleveland Golf Collegiate Championship series, held at the Palmetto Golf Club in Aiken, S.C.
Penn State shot rounds of 294, 303 and 293 to finish at 50-over par 890 in its opening tournament of the spring season. Tennessee Chattanooga shot a final round of 282 to post a 10-over par 850 and win the 15-team tournament on the par-70, 6,565-yard Palmetto Golf Club. Virginia Tech was second (880) and South Carolina-Aiken third (881).
Penn State sophomore T.J. Howe (Osceola, Pa.) led the Nittany Lions firing rounds of 74, 72 and 73 for a total of 9-over par 218 good for 11th place among 84 golfers. Chattanooga's Jonathan Hodge fired a final round 67 (3-under par) to win the individual title at 2-over par 212.
Penn State Senior Harvin Groft (State College, Pa.) shot the best final round for the Lions posting a 1-over par 71 and finished 17th at 11-over par 221 (73-77-71). Senior Robert Rohanna (Waynesboro, Pa.), a first team All-Big Ten honoree last year, and sophomore Kevin Foley (Somerville, N.J.), the 2007 Big Ten Freshman of the Year, tied for 31st both posting 16-over par 226 scores. Rohanna (74-78-74) shot a final round 74 while Foley (73-76-77) posted a 77. Sophomore Mitch Van Zelfden (Marietta, Ga.) finished 48th at 22-over par 232 after his final round 75.