Women’s Golf To Compete At St. John’s Invitational
ALBANY, N.Y. – Coming off a runner-up finish at the ECAC Division I Women’s Golf Championship, the University at Albany squad heads to East Meadow, N.Y. to contend in the second-annual St. John’s Invitational. The two-day tournament begins Monday at Eisenhower Park.
ABOUT EISENHOWER PARK
The 2013 St. John’s Invitational will take place from Oct. 7-8 at Eisenhower Park in East Meadow, N.Y., on the 6,109-yard Red Course. The par-72 course was home to the PGA Championship in 1926 and has been referred to as “one of the better and toughest courses to play on” by PGA Tour golfer Lee Trevino. Ranked by Golf Digest as a four-star course, Eisenhower Park Red has a rating of 71.6 with a slope of 123.
THE COMPETITION
In the field of 11 teams, UAlbany will play against Fairleigh Dickinson, Hartford, Hofstra, Long Island, Monmouth, Quinnipiac, Sacred Heart, Siena, St. Francis and defending champion St. John’s.
The Great Danes have already played alongside half of the participating squads this fall. UAlbany (657 – 9th) finished just behind Hartford (648 – 8th), Sacred Heart (644 – 7th), and Quinnipiac (634 – 6th) at the Dartmouth Invitational, while finishing two places ahead of Monmouth (711 – 4th) at the ECAC Championship, shooting 655. Looking to top local rival Siena for the first time this fall, the Great Danes will face the Saints for the fourth time this season.
Of the 11 teams, six will be returning to the field from last year’s St. John’s Invitational. Not a part of that group, this will mark UAlbany’s first appearance at the event.
UALBANY’S LAST TIME OUT
At Twisted Dune Golf Club in Egg Harbor, N.J., UAlbany rallied for a second-place finish at the 2013 ECAC Division I Women’s Golf Championship Sept 29-30th.
As a squad, the Great Danes cut off 17 strokes from day one (336) to two (319), finishing with a mark of 655 (+79). Siena placed first with a score of 638 (+62).
Individually, Victoria Choi (84-75-159) led UAlbany with a third-place performance, improving her second day score by nine strokes. Shooting 84 in the opening round, Choi rallied to card a 75 on day two, marking the second-best single-day score of the tournament.
Teammate Sam Schuffenecker (82-81-163) was a consistent contender throughout the championship, placing fourth overall. Meanwhile, freshman Paige Fujihara (86-78-164) cut eight strokes off her first round score, improving seven places to finish in fifth.
UP NEXT
UAlbany will compete in the Rutgers Invitational Oct. 14-15, marking the team’s final fall tournament.
