BY NATHAN SOLOMON, SPORTS EDITOR
The St. Bonaventure Golf team overcame adversity in last weekend’s Macdonald Cup, finishing in a tie for 9th place at Yale University.
The Bonnies took just five players to Connecticut to play the historic Yale University Golf Course, but prior to the opening round, sophomore Jude Cummings fell ill and could not participate in the event.
“Jude [Cummings] was kind of down and out with a stomach virus, and we had to play for account for basically the entire week,” coach Ryan Swanson said. “Every shot means a little more and everything becomes a little tougher. You don’t have very much room for error. You got to capitalize on opportunities a little more, and I think our guys did a pretty good job of doing that”.
Additionally, Danny Gianniny continued to battle injuries throughout the event, resulting in some struggles for the fifth-year player.
“If we get healthy, then that’s a course that both those guys could play better at if they were 100%,” Swanson said of Cummings and Gianniny. “[The course is] forgiving off the tee, we drive the ball very well as a team. It’s got big greens, we hit a lot of greens, but a lot of our mistakes on and around the greens”.
With the Bonnies playing on a tough course short-handed, Swanson knew that the team would have their backs to the wall.
“They just set up the course really difficult, especially on Sunday,” Swanson said. “The weather was perfect, the wind started blowing a bit, but it was ideal conditions. The golf course is just very tough and they can get creative with some pin locations and tee locations, and they did that on Sunday to make it harder”.
Although the Bonnies couldn’t maximize the event as a team, graduate student Christian Chapman continued his streak of great play for St. Bonaventure. Chapman shot even par on the tournament highlighted by a 3-under Round 1.
“I had a ton of confidence going into Yale,” Chapman said. “The results at VCU [last tournament] were awesome and had my game feeling good going into the weekend. My putting was at its best and that has what’s given me confidence going forward.
“I’ve been fortunate enough to have played there my sophomore year, so I had some knowledge to help me along. The course was very soft due to so much rain, so it made it easier to get after some pins. I really studied the greens during the practice rounds and where the pins were going to be so that was a key to playing well”.
Chapman finished in fifth place individually, once again contending for the win in a big tournament.
“I’m really close,” Chapman said. “[I] feel like my game has really come around the last few months so every time I put the ball on the tee, I’m trying to win”.
Gianniny finished 24th despite his injuries, while Erik Stauderman and Jack Geise finished in ties for 65th and 67th, respectively.
With the fall season winding down, the Bonnies will have another opportunity to fine-tune things on Friday against Army at Sleepy Hollow Country Club. Swanson is also looking forward for the opportunity to bond as a team.
We’re taking all 11 guys [this weekend],” Swanson said. “We [have] a great night planned together [on Thursday] as a team. We’re going to the Mets game together in the city, and then [Friday] we’re playing one of the best courses in the country against a pretty good Army team. We’re looking forward to some team bonding because we haven’t gotten to do much of that in the first month and having everyone together and just enjoying the company [on Friday] at Sleepy Hollow”.
