Oct. 13, 2008
Macon, Ga. - The Penn State men's golf team concluded their third round of the Brickyard Collegiate at 15-over par (295). Penn State shot previous rounds of 297 and 285, giving the Nittany Lions a 37-over par three day total (877).
Number four-ranked team in the country according to the 2008 Nike Coaches Poll, Georgia, topped the leaderboard with a 19-over par three-day total shooting scores of 292-285-282 (859). Three of the top five teams in the tournament all appeared in the top ten positions of the Nike Coaches Poll.
"We played determined golf and a great finish almost slipped away," said head coach Greg Nye. "It was tough going into the south and playing on their grass. We were at a disadvantage but we came up big."
Freshman Nick Archambault (St-Jean-Sur-Rich, Q.C., Canada) and junior Kevin Foley (Sommerville, N.J.) led the Nittany Lions both tying for 17th with three-day totals of eight-over par (218). Archambault started off the day slow, with a double bogie, but quickly regained composure to finish out the tournament strong. Archambault posted scores of 70-70-78. Foley played consistently throughout the tournament posting scores of 73-71-74. He also began the third round slow, with a bogie, only to par the next six holes and birdie the eighth.
Other Penn State scores included junior T.J. Howe (Osceola, Pa.) who shot a three round total of 219, nine-over par, placing him tied for 21st. Sophomore Tommy McDonagh (Wilton, Conn.) tied for 36th at 12-over par (222) improving his game by four strokes in his final round, shooting a one-over par (71). Senior Matt Leon (Ontario, Canada) shot a 79 in his third round to conclude at 241, 31-over par.
The Nittany Lions will have nearly two weeks off from competitive play then will head to Bethlehem, Pa. for the Lehigh Invitational and their final tournament in their 2008 fall season. The Lions will begin their spring season on February 13th with Big Ten Match Play Championship.
"I think the team finished alright this week, we held our own ground in a pretty solid field," said junior Kevin Foley. "We played decent after some disappointing finishes in the past few weeks, so it was good to play better this weekend. As for Lehigh, we have two weeks off to prepare and I honestly feel that we are the best team in that field. My mindset and the team's mindset is that we should win this next tournament and end the season on a good note. This week we need to keep our skills sharp and if we do that, then we will perform well."