Garnet Golfers Look to Rebound in 2009
The 2009 Swarthmore golf team, under the direction of coach Jim Heller for a fourth time, looks to rebound from a difficult 2008 season, blending a mix of experience with youth and potential.
Having recorded back-to-back school-record finishes at the Centennial Conference Championships in 2006 and 2007, Swarthmore struggled on the course throughout the 2008 season, despite two of its golfers, Jeffrey Lazarus ’10 and Darren Johnson ’08 ending the season in the top-25 at the 2008 Centennial Conference Championships.
The highlight of the 2008 season came when Lazarus set a new individual school-record, carding a 70 on the first day of the prestigious Glenmaura Collegiate Invitational in Moosic, Pa., eventually finishing sixth individually at the premiere event.
The 2009 Garnet squad is striving to fill the shoes of three departing seniors that provided key contributions. In addition, the team will be without the services of Lazarus, who led the team last year with an 81.7 scoring average and is now studying abroad at Oxford University in England during the 2008-09 academic year.
Nevertheless with co-captain Michael Bernasek ’09 (Fairfield, Conn. / Hopkins School) (pictured left) looking to use three years of experience to guide the young squad, promise is abound around the Garnet golf squad. Fellow senior and captain David Lau (Hong Kong, China / The Hotchkiss School), who as a sophomore recorded a top-10 finish at the Centennial Conference Championships, returns from a year abroad at Oxford University.
The team will rely heavily on the contributions of three freshmen, Alex Nichamin (Brookville, Pa. / Brookville), Paul Weston (Waterbury, Vt. / Harwood Union) and Alex Leichter (Wayland, Mass. / Wayland), all having showed promising results during the fall season. Returning junior Kelly Schoolmeester ’11 (Irmo, S.C. / Irmo), a consistent contributor last year, will also be called upon to produce for the team.
The 2008 season also marked the first time that a Swarthmore female golfer participated in the Centennial Conference Championships. Samantha Phong ’09 (Long Beach, Calif. / Long Beach Polytechnic), who recorded a top-20 finish at the Conference Championship, is back with valuable experience and looks to build upon her success from last year.
The golf team begins the spring season with a week-long training camp at the famed Pinehurst Resort in Pinehurst, N.C., site of the Ryder Cup, PGA Tour Championship, U.S. Open, and, most recently, the U.S. Amateur.
Upon returning to Swarthmore, the team begins competitive play on March 16 with a home match against Neumann at their home course, the Rolling Green Golf Club. The team will also compete in several prominent invitational tournaments throughout the season, including the McDaniel Invitational at the Bridges Golf Club in Abbotsville, Pa., and the Glenmaura Collegiate Invitational in Moosic, Pa. Locally, the Garnet will also make appearances at the Aces Club, the Stone Wall Country Club and the Rock Manor Country Club.
The season culminates at the 2009 Centennial Conference Championships hosted by Gettysburg College at the Bridges Golf Club. The team champion will gain an automatic bid to the 2009 NCAA Division III National Championships at PGA Golf Club in Port St. Lucie, Fla.