By: Scott Eddy, Assistant Athletics Director for Strategic Communications
LEWISBURG, Pa. – Following a tightly contested three days at Bucknell Golf Course, the St. Bonaventure golf team came away with a seventh-place finish in an 18-team field after 54 holes of action in the penultimate tournament of the fall season.
Just eight shots separated spots two through seven on the team leaderboard as the Bonnies floated between third and seventh for the entirety of the week. Youngstown State vaulted up the leaderboard after a slow start in the tourney's opening day to capture the title by five strokes over Robert Morris with a winning total of 857. Colgate was just one back of second-place and four clear of Holy Cross (867).
St. Bonaventure's 870 total left the Bonnies only two shots back of fifth-place La Salle (868) for the top Atlantic 10 squad in the field while Niagara was sixth at 869. Manhattan (872) placed eighth while FDU and Bryant tied for ninth at 876.
Bona's lineup was bested by two of their seniors once again, Michael Bucko and Gabe Williams.
Bucko played steady golf over the three days, shooting 2-over 72 each round to tie for 15th out of 112 players in the field. He carded seven birdies for the tournament and now has logged three consecutive top-15 finishes.
Williams narrowly missed his own third straight top-15 by one shot as he moved up the leaderboard on Tuesday with his best effort of the week, even-par 70, to follow rounds of 73 and 74. He delivered an eagle on the par-5, 601-yard third in Tuesday's final round to highlight his play and also turned in seven birdies during the week.
Sophomore Braddock Damore was another solid player in the lineup for the Bonnies this week, opening with a sterling round of 70 on Sunday before following up with 76 on Monday and a bounce back effort on 72 in the final round to tie for 27th on the individual leaderboard.
Also in the lineup for the Bonnies were senior Caleb Decker (71-76-76/223) and reigning A-10 Rookie of the Week Colin Barber (77-72-76/225).
Freshman Tyler Berkman posted his finest tournament to date, tying for 10th in the field as the top-finishing individual of the week. He registered rounds of 72-70-73 and only five players drained more birdies than his total of nine. Berkman also scored the best 54-hole total by a Bonnies player thus far this fall.
QUOTES FROM HEAD COACH PATRICK DAMORE
"We finished in the top half of the field, but we didn't have our best stuff the last two days. Michael Bucko played like our senior captain and led the way for us. Tyler Berkman is continuing to come on strong, following up a top-20 last week at Binghamton with another career-best finish this week."
UP NEXT
The Bonnies close out the fall season with a trip south and three days at the ODU/Kilmarlic Invitational Oct. 26-28 in North Carolina.
TEAM STANDINGS
1. Youngstown State – 857
2. Robert Morris – 862
3. Colgate – 863
4. Holy Cross – 867
5. La Salle – 868
6. Niagara – 869
7. St. Bonaventure – 870
8. Manhattan – 872
T9. FDU – 876
T9. Bryant – 876
11. Bucknell – 879
12. Le Moyne – 882
T13. Mount St. Mary's – 884
T13. Wagner – 883
15. Canisius – 886
16. Rider – 891
T17. Monmouth – 897
T17. Saint Francis - 897
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