The University of Rhode Island’s men’s golf team left North Carolina with a 10th-place finish in a field of 13 at the River Run Collegiate, continuing to struggle early in the fall season.
Rhode Island looked to bounce back from last week’s performance at Bethpage State Park Golf Course in New York by heading down to Davidson College and competing at River Run Country Club for the team’s second competition this season.
Rams head coach Gregg Burke noted conditions at River Run were significantly different from last week’s conditions at Bethpage.
“We’re in North Carolina, so the topography and the foliage are very different,” said Burke. “It’s a spectacular golf course. The conditions were dry and true, and the greens were great.”
The Rams were led by first-year Jack Quinn, who Burke said had a strong tournament and established himself as a top player on the squad.
“I think Jack could be number one for all four years,” said Burke.
While Jack provided some light and hope for the remainder of the fall season, the Rams as a whole struggled to put together a consistent team performance.
Fourth-years Josiah Tong, Tony Liu and Owen Rooney all had stretches of good golf but also experienced some really challenging periods during their three rounds.
The 10th-place finish leaves Rhode Island looking for some consistency as they look ahead in their schedule. Tong and Liu were both noted by Burke as players who need to step up as the season progresses.
“They have to cut out the bogeys,” said Burke. “Owen, who wants it so bad, still has to eliminate his mistakes.”
Despite the result, Burke said the Rams will not allow either performance to dictate the rest of their season.
“We did not do a lot of things very well, but we won’t let this define us,” said Burke.
For Burke, the River Run Collegiate was less about starting the year off with two disappointing results, and more about fixing what is causing these results moving forward.
The Rams shot 36-over-par throughout the three-day tournament, with their best round being the second, where they shot seven-over-par as a team.
Presbyterian College, East Carolina University, Dayton University and Davidson, the top four finishers in this tournament, ended the event with a score no lower than 10-over-par as a team, showing a measurable goal to reach if the Rams want to finish at the top of the table.
Rhode Island will continue to strive for this as they move forward through their season schedule. The Rams return to action at GreatHorse, where the University of Connecticut will host their invitational, starting on Sunday.
After that, the six-man squad will travel to Ohio for a two-day tournament hosted by Miami University and finally wrap up their fall season in Mexico, giving the Rams few opportunities to prove themselves to be a competitive team and start the spring season on a good note.
