Oct. 1, 2012
FT. MEYERS, Fla. - The Penn State men's golf team started the month of October on the right note today with their outstanding second place finish among fifteen teams at the Cobra-PUMA Invitational in Ft. Meyers, Fla. The Nittany Lions edged Bethune-Cookman University by one stroke, finishing 8-under-par with a score of 856 over the course of three rounds (284-286-286).
Coach Greg Nye was more than pleased with his team's performance throughout the tournament. "The guys competed with great focus and toughness. We got contributions from all five guys. Our highest score in the event was 75 which, again, speaks to our improved depth this year. It is good to get 13 wins and come home with some hardware!"
Senior Anthony DeGol (Hollidaysburg, Pa.) had a remarkable day at the Miromar Lakes course, where he shot a 69. DeGol's 211 total moved him up the individual leaderboard to an 8th place finish out of 75 players. The freshman/sophomore duo of Geoff Vartelas (Cromwell, Conn.) and Jens Talbert (Little Rock, Ark.) maintained their top 20 rankings from day one of the Invitational, both finishing tied for 16th. Vartelas reached his total of 216 by scoring a 74, 69, and 73 throughout 54 holes of play. Talbert's 216 total was made up of a 70, 71, and 75, respectively.
Senior Jay Woodward (Bridgeport, W. Va.) finished one stroke behind teammates Vartelas and Talbert, scoring 217, placing him tied for 21st. Rounding out the Nittany Lions' lineup was freshman JD Dornes, who finished tied for 25th among the 75 competitors. Dornes marked a 219 total (71-74-74) in his three rounds of play.
Florida Gulf Coast University maintained their lead after the final round, scoring a team total 27-under-par 837. FGCU's Edward Figueroa jumped ahead of day one leader Nathan Kerns to earn the individual title, as he posted a score of 200 at the Cobra-PUMA Invitational.
The Penn State men's golf squad will continue their 2012-13 campaign on Friday, Oct. 12th at the Bank of Tennessee Intercollegiate in Johnson City, Tenn.