Men’s Golf Finishes Second (Tied) At Hampton Inn Classic Invitational

DARTMOUTH, Mass. – The Endicott men's golf team tied for second place at the Hampton Inn Classic Invitational, hosted by UMass Dartmouth, earlier this weekend at the Allendale Country Club.

Husson University took home the top spot among 18 competing teams with a two-day score of 642, while Salem State University and Endicott posted an identical two-day score of 645 to tie for the runner-up position. Rhode Island College was fourth with a two-day score of 647, and Johnson & Wales University rounded out the top-5 with a two-day score of 649.

Individually, Austin Teal (Loudonville, N.Y.) came in second place by shooting 150 (76 / 74) over the two-day event. Drew Benshoff (Concord, Mass.) ranked tied for eighth (160 score, 83 / 77), while Ben Palazzo (Farmington, Conn.) was tied for 30th overall (165 score, 85 / 80). Alex Viola (Brunswick, Maine) came in 55th (tied, 173 score, 86 /87) and Dan Negus (Pembroke, Mass.) concluded the list of highlights for the Gulls with a 63rd place finish (tied) with a two-day score of 174 (90 / 84).

TOP QUOTE

"We showed extreme patience and perseverance in conditions that most golfers wouldn't even attempt to play in! Forty-degree weather and 25 mile-per-hour winds on day one made scores balloon, but the squad hung in there and put themselves in a position to win on day two," said Endicott men's golf head coach Tom Smith. "We came up just a bit short in the second round, but we respect the great round our competitors put together. This momentum should bode well for us as we prepare for the Johnson and Wales Invitational and the third leg of the spring shootout. We are only six shots back overall and I think we can catch the leaders next weekend. I'm happy with our progress early in the season with the limited practice due to the weather this spring."

BEYOND THE SCORECARD

• The Gulls placed the highest out of any Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) program over the two-day invitational as Nichols ranked sixth (651), Wentworth checked in at No. 13 (686), and Roger Williams was No. 17 overall (709).
• Teal turned in the highest individual placement of the season for Endicott with his second place showing this weekend.
• Last season, Teal placed fourth overall at the Hampton Inn Classic with a two-day score of 154 (77 / 77).

WHAT'S NEXT

Endicott returns to action next weekend (April 16-17) at the Johnson & Wales Invitational at the Cranston Country Club, in Cranston, Rhode Island. 

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