Golf Season Preview '07-'08

The College of Saint Rose arrives at the 2007-08 campaign aiming to become the first team in the program’s eight year history to qualify for the NCAA Tournament. The Golden Knights have been represented by an individual on five occasions throughout their lifespan, but never as a collective entity. Seven players are back in the fold from last year’s squad that finished tied for eighth among 12 schools at the Northeast-10 Conference Championship Tournament. The team’s depth and experience along with the arrival of a promising freshman bode well for the club’s fortunes.

2006-07 Review
The Golden Knights competed in 13 events that encompassed 17.5 rounds of play last year. They wound up 17th at the ECAC Championship Tournament in October despite shooting their second lowest round (312) as a team during the first day of competition. The club’s best effort came via a 306 score in its only home match of the year, a dual with visiting UMass Lowell at Colonie Country Club. The lone missing piece from last year’s roster is TJ Woodruff who played only the fall portion of the schedule. Woodruff recorded the team’s second highest scoring average with a 79.6 throughout 10.5 rounds and seven events.

Returnees (7)
Heading the list of returnees is junior Jamie Bacon (Port Perry, ONT/Port Perry) who made his second consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance and set a single-season school standard with a 79.4 scoring average in 2006-07. Bacon wound up 27th among 45 competitors at last year’s NCAA Regional. He also shot a two-over-par 74 in the UMass Lowell match and wound up with a seven-over 115 throughout 27 holes at the NE-10 Championship. Overall, he fired an 80 or better on nine occasions while playing 18.5 rounds.

Also back are a pair of seniors in Jim Male (Rotterdam, NY/Mohonasen) and Jared Greczyn (Tully, NY/Tully), along with juniors Tom Behrens (Nanuet, NY/Pearl River), Michael Cristello (Rotterdam, NY/Mohonasen) and Michael Treantis (Tonawanda, NY/Sweet Home). Sophomore Cody Daigle (Stillwater, NY/Stillwater) is also in the mix.

Male recorded the team’s fourth highest scoring average with an 83.9 last season. He played in five events with his best finish coming via back-to-back 81’s at the Peter King Memorial on Long Island in April. Greczyn, who is expected to play only in the spring, fired an average score of 86.4 throughout 11 rounds over seven events as a sophomore while Behrens averaged an 87.2 while playing five rounds over three events after joining the team late in the year. Cristello recorded an 82.3 average, third best on the team, during 13.5 rounds in nine different events while Treantis averaged a 92.0 after playing a mere three events. Daigle averaged an 84.1 over 14 rounds and 10 events.

Newcomers (1)
The lone newcomer is freshman Michael Allen (Binghamton, NY/Chenango Forks) who is expected to fight for a position among the club’s top-five scorers. Allen has played well thus far in the fall after being named a Southern Tier All-Conference pick at Chenango Forks as a senior.

Schedule
Saint Rose opens its 2007-08 season on Sunday, September 9 at the Assumption Shootout that will take place at Petersham Country Club in Petersham, MA. The NE-10 Championship is scheduled for Sunday, September 30 and Monday, October 1 at Drumlins Country Club in Syracuse. Meanwhile, the NCAA Northeast/East Super Regional will run Monday, May 5 through Wednesday, May 7 at a site to be determined.

Summation
There is enough talent on this club to improve on last year’s finish at the NE-10 Championship and make a run at a NCAA Tournament berth. The key, to no surprise, is consistent scoring among the club’s five competitors at each event. To that end, head coach Gerald Fitzgerald is emphasizing the team’s putting game this year. He noted that any player who wins a PGA or LPGA event, his or her putting stats inside 10 feet are better than 95 percent.