WAYZATA, Minn. - The Penn State men's golf team began their 2012-13 campaign in an unfortunate way at the Gopher Invitational on Sunday, completing the last round of the tournament Monday morning. The Nittany Lions faced a disqualification in the second round after two players failed to sign their scorecards. Despite this setback, senior Jay Woodward (Bridgeport, W. Va.) finished tied for 19th on the individual leaderboard.
Woodward was able to start his senior season off strong for Penn State with an 11-over-par total 227. After two rounds at the Spring Hill Golf Club in Wayzata, Minn., Woodward made himself comfortable saving his best round for last: a 2-over-par score of 72, which included 3 birdies and 5 bogeys. Another Nittany Lion looking to jumpstart his senior season was Anthony DeGol (Hollidaysburg, Pa.), who finished tied for 48th at the Invitational and posted rounds of 82-76-76 (234).
Freshman Geoff Vartelas (Cromwell, Conn.) had an impressive start to the tournament where he sat tied for 12th after two rounds, scoring 75 and 72, respectively. However, round three is where Vartelas struggled, making 6 bogeys and 5 double bogeys to tally a score of 20-over-par 92.
Both second round scores earned by sophomore Jens Talbert (Little Rock, Ark.) and freshman Chris Houston (Gilford, N.H.) were disqualified. In rounds 1 and 3, Talbert posted a steady score of 79, including 4 birdies and 6 bogeys. Houston made 5 birdies in his debut at Penn State, tallying scores of 79 and 80 in the first and last rounds.
California lead the way for the entirety of the Gopher Invitational, scoring a team total 2-under-par 862. Four members of the Bears broke the individual top ten leaderboard, including Max Homa who was in first place after two rounds. Kent State's Corey Connors edged Homa for the first place finish, posting a 3-under-par total score 213.
The Nittany Lions will return to the course Sept. 17-18 in Toledo, Ohio for the Inverness Intercollegiate Invitational.