April 5, 2008
Huntington, W.Va. - Senior Robert Rohanna (Waynesburg, Pa.) shot rounds of 70 and 66, winning the Marshall Invitational for the second straight year and tying the tournament's 36-hole scoring record at 6-under par 136 Saturday. Rohanna became just the second golfer in the tournament's 39-year history to win back-to-back titles, joining Ohio State's Paul Davis who won in 1974 and 1975.
"Having the experience from last year definitely helped," Rohanna said. "Although the conditions were completely different this year, the course seems to cater to my game well."
Rohanna's win - the fourth of his collegiate career - included a career-low round of 66 in which he carded four birdies and an eagle. Playing in what he called the "wettest conditions he'd ever seen," Rohanna shot a total score of 136, tying him with Josh Dawes and Dirk Ayers for the lowest 36-hole score in Penn State men's golf history.
"It's nice to start playing well after having a few bad rounds in the fall," Rohanna said. "Hopefully this win will give me momentum going into the next few tournaments like it did last year."
Playing in Penn State's lineup for the first time since 2006, junior Matt Leon (Brampton, Ontario) shot rounds of 68 and 73, tying for ninth place at 1-under par. His first-round 68 was the lowest round of his collegiate career.
"The rock of the day was Matt Leon," said Penn State head coach Greg Nye. "He's been practicing very well and deserved a chance to start. He came through unbelievably today and brought a superb attitude."
In what is becoming a common occurrence, the Nittany Lions - ranked No. 28 by Golfstat and No. 36 by Golfweek - recorded another top-5 finish, placing second behind Big Ten rival Illinois at 7-under par after posting scores of 281 and 280. The Lions have recorded a top-5 finish in all eight tournaments they've competed in during the 2007-08 season. The team's 36-hole total of 561 is the third lowest in team history.
"Our team has shown great resilience this season," Nye said. "My hats off to the guys, they just keep showing up."
Seventeen teams competed in the 2008 Marshall Invitational, hosted by Marshall University. The tournament, originally scheduled to go 54 holes, was shortened to 36 holes after heavy rain fell at the 6,476-yard, par-71 Guyan Golf and Country Club Friday.
Senior Harvin Groft (State College, Pa.) and sophomore T.J. Howe (Osceola, Pa.) tied for 16th place at 1-over par. Groft shot rounds of 70 and 73, while Howe fired rounds of 74 and 69. His second-round 69 tied his career-low, having also shot a 69 at the VCU Shootout in the fall. Battling illness, sophomore Kevin Foley (Somerville, N.J.) carded scores of 73 and 72, tying for 28th place at 3-over par.
Penn State travels to Columbus, Ohio, next weekend for the 38th annual Kepler Intercollegiate. The tournament, hosted by Ohio State, will be played at the 7,454-yard, par-71 OSU Scarlet Course, where the Lions finished third last year.
Team R1 R2 Total To Par1) Illinois 274 280 554 -142) Penn State 281 280 561 -73) Ohio State 282 283 565 -34) Marquette 288 287 575 +75) Rhode Island 288 290 578 +106) Eastern Kentucky 288 291 579 +117) William & Mary 294 287 581 +138) Cincinnati 289 294 583 +15T9) Miami (Ohio) 288 297 585 +17T9) Ball State 291 294 585 +17T11) Richmond 293 294 587 +19T11) Princeton 293 294 587 +19T11) Bowling Green State 287 300 587 +1914) Wright State 302 289 591 +23T15) Ohio 298 298 596 +28T15) Northern Illinois 298 298 596 +2817) Marshall 292 306 598 +30
Penn State Players R1 R2 Total To Par1) Robert Rohanna 70 66 136 -6T9) Matt Leon 68 73 141 -1T16) Harvin Groft 70 73 143 +1T16) T.J. Howe 74 69 143 +1T28) Kevin Foley 73 72 145 +3