Thomas Blankvoort led the GW golf team to an eighth-place finish out of a field of 20 teams at last weekend’s Lehigh Stabler Invitational. Blankvoort’s six-over-par 150 (74-76) at the par-72, 6,500-yard Center Valley Golf Club, tied him for 14th overall. Lehigh University’s Bowden Osborn won the tournament with a five-under-par 139 (69-70).
Host Lehigh University won the tournament with a team total 583, followed by University of Pennsylvania, Princeton University, St. Bonaventure and Temple, each with 595.
Junior transfer Michael Ball’s 151 (77-74) was just one stroke behind Blankvoort, tying him for 20th overall out of a field of 99 competitors. GW sophomore Stuart Healey tied for 48th with a 157 (76-81).
Behind Healey was Ryan Mello, who tied for 57th with a 158 (79-79) and Brad Friedlander, who shot a 167 (80-87). Bryan Derdenger, who won last year’s Stabler Invitational, did not compete because of academic obligations, head coach Scott Allen said.
This was a solid finish for the Colonials, Allen said, adding that his team’s weakness continues to be lagging scores at the fourth and fifth spot. Allen said the team suffers when players shoot in the 80’s.
This tournament marked the fourth-straight week in which Blankvoort has been the team-low scorer.
At the Oct. 8-9 Temple Invitational, Blankvoort led the team to a fifth-place finish out of14 teams at the par-71, 6,585-yard Glenmaura National Golf Course in Moosic, Pa. The graduate student placed second overall, three strokes off the lead set by Temple’s John Rusk, who shot a 139 (68-71). GW’s 612 (308-304) was 23 strokes off the behind tournament winner University of Maryland. Host Temple finished second overall.
Ball placed 10th, shooting a 142 (73-69) and senior Bryan Derdenger placed 19th with a 153 (79-74).
Next up for the Colonials is the East Carolina Intercollegiate Invitational at Bradford Creek Golf Club in Greenville, N.C. The fall season ends with the Old Dominion SeaScape Intercollegiate, Oct 29-30 in Kitty Hawk, N.C. where the team struggled last year, placing last out of 20 teams.
