Light Blue golf kicks off '09 season

The Columbia men’s golf team kicked off its season out west, taking part in the Hiddenbrooke Intercollegiate over the break. The defending Ivy League champions were the only East Coast team taking part in the 54-hole tournament, earning a sixth-place finish in the field of nine.
Individually, Brendan Doyle and Clark Granum led the way for the Lions. Doyle, a freshman from Beverly Hills, Calif., finished sixth overall with a score of 228, 12 over par, one shot behind Drury University’s Andrew Funk. Granum, who finished third in the Ivy League Championships last spring, was right behind Doyle with +13.

Columbia’s three other golfers were further down in the pack. Chris Arkin started the tournament with a 79 on the first day but slipped over the next 36 holes, finishing with a score of 251, tied for 39th place. Cashel Rosier and Sam Mysock rounded out the team scoring for Columbia with scores of 265 and 271.

In individual competition, Philippe Fossaert finished 19th with a score of 239, including a 74 on the last 18 holes, while Justin Lee scored a 252.

Overall, Columbia recorded a team score of 973. Drury took home the overall title with a score of 922, while Loyola-Chicago’s Armando Favela was the individual winner, finishing five strokes over par with 221.

The women’s golf team also began its 2009 season over the break, teeing off at the First Market Bank Intercollegiate in Williamsburg, Va. Columbia finished the tournament in 10th place out of a field of 22 with a score of 344, 68 over par, over 36 holes. Alabama took home the team title, 18 strokes ahead of Richmond. The Lions were one of three Ivy teams competing, with Penn in 17th place and Dartmouth finishing second-to-last.

Individually, Stevy Loy was the Light Blue’s top finisher with a score of +14. Loy shot a 75 on the first day of competition but was done in by an 83 on the second day. Robin Lee finished second on the team, tied for 45th with a score of +18, with Jasmine Chean, Lynda Kwon, and Jennifer Adyorough rounding out the Columbia five. Alabama’s Rhea Nair was the individual winner with a score of 149, five over par, including a 74 on the last 18 holes.

The men’s team returns to action on March 30 at the Larry Nelson Collegiate Invitational in Braselton, Georgia. The women’s team will also play this weekend, traveling to Maryland for the Hoya Invitational.