March 11, 2010
University Park, Pa. - The absence of the Nittany Lions at the second annual Big Ten Match Play Championships makes this week's tournament at The Pinehurst Intercollegiate their initiation into the 2010 spring season. The three-day, 54-hole tournament will be contested on the historic Centennial Pinehurst No. 8, designed by Tom Fazio, Friday, March 12 through Sunday March 14. The 15 Division I teams will have practice rounds Thursday, March 11.
The Nittany Lions are set to compete for the first time since wrapping up the fall season at the Renaissance Invitational where they placed second. Led my senior All-American Kevin Foley (Somerville, N.J.), who placed second at the Renaissance, the Nittany Lions look ahead to this weekend to defend their 2009 title.
Penn State's appearance at the 2009 Pinehurst Intercollegiate ended with two titles for both team and individual championships. Penn State re-wrote the record books at Pinehurst crushing two previous team records. Penn State now holds the low 54-hole team total record with 852, beating out Indiana's team total of 855. The Nittany Lions also have the low final round score 279 breaking the previous record of 287 made by Xavier, Indiana, Eastern Kentucky and UNC- Greensboro.
Senior T.J. Howe (Osceola, Pa.) returns to the line-up for the Nittany Lions familiar with the Pinehurst Intercollegiate. Howe's 2009 performance of 209 set the individual championship-score record by one stroke, previously made by former US Amateur Champion Colt Knost of SMU. Howe's final round score, 67, tied the low round and low final round record set by Indiana's Scott Seibert.
Joining Howe and Foley will be fellow senior Jim Markovitz (Bridgeville, Pa.) as well as junior Tommy McDonagh (Wilton, Conn.) and Freshman Ernesto Marin (Miami, Fla.). For updates on the tournament visit GoPSUSports and for more information about the historic Pinehurst, visit Pinehurst Intercollegiate.