28 minute read
Michael Carter Legacy
Above: The red maple tree, which was planted by near the 18th hole of the Blue Course Below: Flowers and a pictorial were placed in memoriam at the Penn State Golf Course Club House.
Advertisement
The Penn State golf family continues to honor the memory of Mike Carter — the spunky and colorful sophomore player from Westfield, N.J. — who passed away on February 13, 2002. MIKE CARTER’S LEGACY
LIVES ON WITH TREE AND SCHOLARSHIP
Carter, who was known around the course and across campus for his upbeat attitude and engaging personality, was returning home when he was in an automobile accident and died.
Penn State was devastated and the Nittany Lions golf family mourned and remembered its fallen teammate with unity and grace. The men’s team wore pink pants as a tribute to Carter at the 2002 Rutherford Invitational, the Big Ten Championship and the NCAA East Regional.
“He was a very bright light on our team, and we will always remember how he lived each day to the fullest,” said head coach Greg Nye.
To ensure that the memory of Mike Carter lives on in perpetuity, the Penn State golf family and the Carter family have taken two significant measures. In the spring of 2002, the Penn State team and coaches planted a red maple tree near the 18th hole on the home Blue Course in State College, Pa., and dedicated it, with a plaque, to Mike Carter.
In 2003, Michael and Mary Lou Carter endowed a grant in the name of their son to be awarded annually to the golf program.
Penn State has long been a training ground for golfers to elevate their game. Upon graduation, several alumni have continued to compete successfully in the sport and pursue their dreams of playing in the professional ranks.
Recent graduate and former Nittany Lion Cole Miller finished 25th in his first season on Canada’s Mackenzie Tour’s Order of Merit, which earned him an exemption into the second stage of Web.com Qualifying School. He begins his second year as a professional on the Web.com Tour in 2019.
While 2013 was a milestone year with Kevin Foley earning status on the PGA Tour, there were many players before who blazed a trail in the professional ranks, and may who continue to compete successfully on various tours in the hopes of joining Kevin on golf’s grandest stage.
A three-time All-American, Foley graduated in 2010 and adjusted quickly to the pro game, enjoying an unprecedented rise through the ranks. Foley’s first season as a professional was highlighted by his win in the 2011 New Jersey State Open. In 2012, he split time between the EGolfTour and Web.com tour. After establishing himself as one of the premier players on the EGolf Tour with 6 top-10s in 11 events and a win at the Pine Needles Classic, Foley focused his attention back to the Web.com Tour where a fifth-place finish at the Web.com Nationwide Children’s Hospital Invitational earned him enough money to gain status for the remainder of the year. Foley finished the year with $119,000 in earnings, giving him full status on Web.com for 2013.
In 2013, he picked up where he left off by winning the first event of the season at the Panama Claro Championship. Foley ultimately finished 24th on the money list in August 2013, earning a spot in the coveted “25,” and making him the first Nittany Lion since Dan O’Neill to earn a PGA Tour card. Foley’s success has continued and paid off in a big way after he qualified for his first U.S. Open in 2016. Added to the field as the first alternate, Foley and former Nittany Lion T.J. Howe were the first alumni to represent Penn State in the event since 1999. Foley is currently playing on the Web.com Tour.
T.J. Howe is a 2011 graduate who enjoyed a successful career after leaving the Lions. A 2010 All-American selection, Howe racked up 11 professional wins and multiple appearances on the Web.Com and PGA Tours, including a start in the 2015 Wells Fargo Championship. Based in the southeastern United States, the EGolf Tour is regarded by many as the most competitive mini-tour in the United States. Between 2012 and 2016, Howe won five times on the EGolf Tour and finished in the top five of the money list three times. He enjoyed Web.Com and Mackenzie Tour status in 2016. Howe qualified for his first U.S. Open in 2016 at Oakmont Country Club. Most recently, in 2017, Howe won the prestigious Frank B. Fuhrer Invitational in Pittsburgh, Pa. J.D. Dornes, a 2016 graduate, burst on to the professional golf scene after enjoying one of the best golf careers in Penn State history. Dornes has already tasted success in professional golf, having won the 2017 Maine Open by two shots. Only weeks later, Dornes opened up the Pennsylvania Open with a sizzling course record 62 at Gulph Mills GC. He would go on to finish runner-up in the event. Dornes also competed on the PGA Tour Latinoamerica in 2017. He is in his second season of Web.Com Tour membership.
Robert Rohanna has enjoyed success as a pro since leaving Happy Valley in 2008, and it looks as though his best golf is ahead of him. He won the 2010 and 2016 Pennsylvania Opens. Known for his tremendous length and deft touch around the greens, Rohanna is always poised to make the jump to the Web.Com Tour. He proved to be a dominant force on the NGA Tour throughout the winter of 2013-14, finishing in the top five in each of his four events, highlighted by a win at Harmony Golf Preserve in November.
Rohanna capped his successful NGA Tour campaign by earning full status on PGA Tour Latinoamerica, where the top five money earners gain Web.com Tour membership. Injuries in recent seasons have held him out of competition for long stretches. A healthy Rohanna will look to pick up where he left off and we look forward to following his progress.
Mark Leon, a 2005 grad, earned Canadian Tour exempt status in the fall of 2007 after competing for Team Canada in 2006. Leon retained his status on the Canadian Tour for three seasons. He advanced to the secon]nd round of PGA Tour Q-School in 2008, narrowly missing out on Q-school finals and a Web.Com tour card by two strokes. Leon also made the cut in the 2007 Nationwide Tour’s Northeastern PA Classic and spent time playing on the Great Lakes Tour, winning the 2010 Mandarin Classic before returning to Penn State as assistant coach in 2011. In the summer of 2017, Leon took the assistant coaching job at the University of Florida where he looks to continue a storied tradition with the Gators.
Greg Pieczynski (class of 2006) won the 2008 Philadelphia Open as well as the 2008 Philadelphia PGA Assistants Championship. He finished seventh at the PGA National Assistants Championship in 2008. A native of Kingston, Pa., Pieczyinski also played in the Northeastern PA Classic on the Nationwide Tour in 2004, and from 2007-2009.
Matt Abbott, a 2001 graduate, has seen great success on the Gateway Tour and Minor League Tour. On the Gateway Tour he earned over $91,000 and made 32-of-40 cuts in his last two seasons on the tour. On the Minor League Tour, Abbott earned numerous victories and over $20,000 in earnings.
Jimbo Fuller, a 2003 graduate, began his professional career in 2006 on the Grey Goose Gateway Tour and had a very successful season. Fuller won one tournament, made 14-of-22 cuts and earned over $55,000. In 2006, Fuller qualified for the second stage of the PGA Tour Q-School.
Adam Decker (1996) is entering his 14th season as the head coach for the University of Richmond, and has played in PGA Tour & Nationwide Tour events, including the 1998 Kemper Open, 2000 Florida Classic, 2001 Hershey Open and the 2001 Greater Cleveland Open. He had also played on the former Tear Drop Tour, where he won twice, and on the Golden Bear Tour, where he accumulated over $45,000.
Dirk Ayers, a 1995 alum, had a successful career on the Canadian Tour. His best year on the Canadian Tour was in 2004 when he finished runner-up twice and finished ninth on the money list with over $42,000 in earnings. Ayers has also played in several PGA Tour and Nationwide Tour events. He made the cut at the PGA Tour’s Canadian Open in 2004 and played the B.C. Open in 1998. His Nationwide Tour experiences include the 1996 Buffalo Open, 2003 Alberta Calgary Classic and 2004 Boise Open. Ayers has also competed on the Australasian PGA Tour.
A 1993 alum, Jason Tyska perhaps turned in the most impressive performance by becoming the second Penn Stater to qualify for the U.S. Open, but first to make the cut at the 1999 Open held in Pinehurst, N.C.. Tyska went on to finish 53rd. He earned his way on to the 1999 Nationwide Tour by making it through all three stages of PGA Tour Q-school and made the cut in 12 events where he had four top-10 finishes. In 2000, Tyska played in four Nationwide Tour events and qualified for the PGA Tour’s Michelob Championship at Kingsmill. Danny O’Neill ’72, a four-time All-American during his Nittany Lion career, is the only Penn Stater to qualify for both the U.S. Open (1985) and U.S. Senior Open (2001). In his career, O’Neill has played in the 1990 & 1996 Buffalo Open (Nationwide Tour). He qualified for the 2002 U.S. Senior PGA Tour by finishing 4th at the final stage. In his rookie year on tour (2002), O’Neill played in 29 events and earned over $216,000.
Willie Parks was the designer and creator of the first Penn State golf course.
The first golf holes were laid out on the Penn State campus in the late 1800s. The game became more and more popular and eventually became a 9-hole course in 1901. Known as the Golf Club of State College, the club became so popular that 50 percent of the faculty and students played the game. The possible location of this routing existed near the current location of Pollock Hall with some claiming that the location was closer to the present location of Beaver Stadium.
In December of 1908, a new club was proposed and the generous support of Mr. H. Walton Mitchell, a strong alumnus and faithful alumni trustee, and other owners leased land known as the Dale Farm at a reduced rate for the purpose of a new club. The land was maintained by the course caretaker who lived in the farmhouse with their family and not only maintained the course with a flock of sheep but also would earn part pay from the produce he could raise off the land not occupied by the links. It is believed that the area of land is where parts of the current White Course are located today.
Former Penn State Athletic Director Hugo Bezdek, hired in 1918, wanted the University to have better golf facilities and eventually a varsity team. In 1921, with public school money and a dream in his bag, Bezdek lured Golf Professional Robert B. Rutherford Sr., from New Britain, Conn. to oversee the change from a nine-hole course to an 18-hole championship course. Bezdek and Rutherford hired Willie Park Jr., an internationally known figure who designed some of the best courses in both the United States and Europe. Park, a native of Musselburgh, Scotland, won The British Open in 1887 and 1889.
The annual college championship was a popular event that was contested each fall on the college links. In 1922, Rutherford, nicknamed “Pop,” was named Head Coach and organized the first men’s golf team at Penn State. It was from the college championship that Rutherford would form the first varsity team. The team members were: J.W. Crookston (Captain), F.E. Dale, T.F. Connell, J.L. Bair, and C.M. Andrews (Manager). The first match in Penn State varsity golf history was played on the new campus course on May 26, 1922. The Nittany Lion golfers were defeated by the University of Pennsylvania in their intercollegiate debut by a score of four to three. Had the Lions defeated Penn, they likely would have been invited to The Intercollegiates (National Championship).
In 1923, intercollegiate golf began to take shape. Yale, Harvard, Princeton, Cornell, Dartmouth, Columbia, Penn and Williams developed plans to form a golf league. With the steady growth and interest in golf at Penn State, it was only a matter of time before Penn State joined. Each team in the league was to play matches and the team with the best record was declared the champion.
With the 1923 Nittany Lion schedule finalized, word was received in April that Penn State had been admitted to the Intercollegiate Golf League. Penn State would begin league play in 1924. The 1923 schedule included matches against Princeton, Lock Haven CC, Penn and Pittsburgh. The Lions would finish their second season of intercollegiate golf with a 6-1 record and were invited to The Intercollegiates where they went on to finish in eighth place. The first undefeated season in school history occurred in 1927. That year, Penn State went 5-0-1. The Lions proved to always be a challenge on the links during Pop’s years. The Lions only had three losing seasons from 1927 to 1942.
The War Years Through the Mid-Fifties
With the major developments of World War II in the mid 1940s Rutherford was forced to have a limited schedule in 1943 and 44 and was unable to field a team in 1945 and 46. Varsity golf returned to Penn State in 1947 with a limited schedule. The Lions played five dual matches, finishing third at the EIGA Championship and 25th at The Intercollegiate. Rutherford’s team went on to have three more undefeated campaigns with the most significant being in 1948.
The 1948 squad went into the EIGA Playoffs with an unblemished record of 3-0. The linksmen went on to beat Pitt, 8-1, Cornell, 6-3, and Army, 9-0, to reach the EIGA Championships in Atlantic City, N.J. In the first round of the finals, Penn State went on to beat a tough Georgetown squad by a score of 6-3. Penn State had reached the championship match for the first time in school history. Penn State’s previous best finish at the EIGA Finals had been in 1947 where they finished in third.
The 1948 squad, captained by Donald Hart, was not going to be denied the afternoon of May 15, 1948. The Nittany Lions came out hot and would not cool down. All six Lions would win their matches in dominating fashion and therefore also claim the three best-ball matches. They went on to shut out 21-time NCAA Champion, Yale, by a score of 9-0 and became the first NonIvy league school to win the EIGA Championship. Coach Boyle was a starting member of the 1948 team and remembered the history made by winning the EIGA with a twinkle in his eye.
“We were so excited to win the Eastern Intercollegiate as those Ivy teams were awfully tough in those days,” Joe Boyle said.
The team would go on to finish the season undefeated with a record of 10-0 and would go on to finish in 16th place at the NCAA championships in Palo Alto, Calif.
The first Grant-in-Aid (Golf Scholarship) was awarded to Rod Eaken of Reading, Pa. In the early summer of 1950, a freshman to be, Eaken received some disheartening news. He had received a letter from Penn State advising that, due to budgetary restrictions, five sports had been discontinued.
During the summer months there was at least one invitational golf tournament held each week at some of the best country clubs in the Philadelphia area. One of the weekly competitors in these invitationals was a Penn State alumnus and member of the Penn State Board of Directors: Fred Waring. Fred owned the famous Shawnee-on-the-Delaware resort and had his world famous band “The Pennsylvanians” based there.
In June of 1950, while playing at Scranton Country Club, Eaken’s competitor that week was none other than Waring. During the round, Eaken approached Waring and asked him if he was aware that Penn State had dropped the golf team. Fred was outraged and said to, “Penn State will have a golf team if I have to pay for it myself.”
Eaken, obviously elated, wondered Waring would actually do something. He had never heard another word from Waring but when he returned to school in September, the Golf Team had been reinstated. It was not until several years later that the other sports were reinstated.
Rutherford Jr., continued to build upon the success of his father. In his inaugural season as coach, Rutherford Jr., led PSU senior Tommy Smith to the NCAA championship in New Mexico. Although his teams did not claim an EIGA Championship, his teams finished the 1953 and 1955 seasons undefeated. In his seven-year span as head coach, Rutherford Jr., finished with a career mark of 50-13.
Coach Joe Boyle – Match Play to Medal
In 1957, a new coach was named in Joe Boyle. Coach Boyle’s first day of work as the Penn State golf coach just happened to be the same day as that of legendary football coach Joe Paterno. Boyle worked as Rutherford Jr.’s assistant and
was a member of the historic 1948 EIGA Championship team and captain of the 1949 team. Boyle wasted little time building off of Rutherford’s successes. In his first year as coach, his squad went 10-2 and finished second in the EIGA Championship. In his 25 years as head coach, Boyle’s teams won seven EIGA Championships, including back-to-back titles in 1963 and 1964, and a string of three from 1971-1973. He had a team or individual compete for Penn State at the National Championship in 19 of his 25 years with the team and had a best finish of 16th place in 1969.
Boyle finished his coaching career with a dual match record of 197-38-1, which included seven undefeated seasons. He was an active member in the Golf Coaches Association of America and served as the associations’ President in 1967-68.
Boyle was inducted in the GCAA Hall of Fame in 1987 and was the recipient of the GCAA’s highest award, The Honor Award, in 2007. The Honor Award which began in 1985 is awarded annually to a member of the GCAA Hall of Fame who is retired and has made a significant contribution to the game of golf.
Boyle coached in an era that had a lot of change in collegiate golf. Part way through his coaching career intercollegiate golf gradually went away from traditional dual matches (Match Play) to stroke-play tournaments involving a number of teams. The Lions went from playing 10-15 dualmatches a year to 6-8 stroke play tournaments.
One of the first and favorite tournaments that the Lion golfers became regular participants in was the Indiana (Pa.) Invitational played at the Indiana Country Club. The Lions claimed their first IUP title in 1964 and went on to win the title 10 out of the next 11 years. With the popularity of intercollegiate golf growing across the nation, districts were also created to select the top teams from various areas of the country. Under Boyle, the Lions were traditionally one of the top-ranked teams in District II, made up of the northern MidAtlantic States.
William (Bill) Davidson is an important name in the history of Penn State golf. He became the program’s first-ever champion of the EIGA Championship and first All-American in 1959. In the 1958 EIGA Championship, Davidson beat teammate Johnny Felus in the semifinals and went on to win the title the next day beating Ted Weiss of Yale. He was named team captain for the 1959 squad. In his career, Davidson qualified for the NCAA championship all three years he was a Nittany Lion (1957-59). He finished his career with a regular-season match-play record of 22-9.
In the fall of 1969, a young freshman from Jamestown, N.Y. enrolled at Penn State. Dan O’Neill immediately made an impact becoming the Lions No. 1 man by mid spring of 1970 and finished in 12th place at the NCAA championship. That finish earned him All-America honors which he would achieve in each of his next three years with the Nittany Lions, becoming the first four-time All-American. In the summer of 1972, Dan O’Neill qualified for the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach and made the 36-hole cut. His cut-making putt was seen live across the nation on ABC.
In the late 1960’s golf became so popular on the University Park campus, that administration decided to build a second golf course. The new course was named the “Blue” and was built on the far west portion of the campus property and had a separate entrance off of College Ave.
The original campus course was renamed the “White” course. The Blue course would open in 1970 at a par of 72 and length of 7,010 yards. It had 87 bunkers and three ponds. The course was designed by the architecture firm of Harrison & Grabin and built by university employees. It became the primary course for all Penn State Intercollegiate competitions.
Kennedy Leads Lions to Atlantic 10 Dominance
In January 1982, Mary Kennedy-Zierke, the women’s coach at the time, was promoted to head coach of the men & women’s teams following the retirement of Joe Boyle. “Fall” collegiate golf was now a norm and Coach Kennedy-Zierke led a number of successful teams in her 10 years as head coach. Kennedy, an outstanding teacher, developed several all-district players and guided the Lions to prominence in eastern golf her last five years with the program. She was named District II Coach of the Year in 1987 and 1991. Her teams claimed six Atlantic 10 Conference Championships, including five in a row from 1986-90.
Through this period of Penn State golf, nearly all competition was still Eastern based. Through these years, Coach Kennedy’s team improved year after year, nearly always atop the leader board in District II competitions. Overall under Kennedy’s guidance the Lions won 19 events, and twice she was named District II Coach of the Year.
The program was given a big lift in the mid 1980s when the massive indoor facility, Holuba Hall, was completed. This free span structure covers two indoor 80-yard practice fields side-by-side. The 118,000-square foot facility, complete with the latest indoor turf surface, provided the Lions with a facility to get an early start on each spring.
In 1992, with the development and expansion of the “West” Campus and the inconvenience of running the golf operation from two separate locations, both the Blue and White courses underwent a major facelift. The $1.5 million expansion was generated through the golf course facilities. The golf operation became more efficient with the renovation project of both courses would begin play from the Blue Course Pro Shop and eventually the Walker Clubhouse. Mark Kennedy coached the 1987 golf team to a second place finish at the Merril Lynch Invitational and a first place finish in the Eastern Championship. The 1979 men’s golf team under Joe Boyle won first place at the Wooster Invitational against 20 other teams. They also took first place at the Nittany Lion Open in a field of 19.
The 1986-87 men’s golf season concluded with five first-place finishes and a 31st finish at the NCAA Championships.
Tombros Varsity Golf Clubhouse
The Tombros Varsity Golf Clubhouse was dedicated on Sept. 3, 2010 and the next day both the men’s and women’s programs were able to utilize for the first time this spectacular facility build smack in the middle of the university golf course facilities. This clubhouse provides four coaches offices, locker and bag storage for both teams, a beautiful center core that combines the Nittany Lion foyer, academic space, and the magnificent living room with a fabulous floor to ceiling stone fireplace as a focal point. In addition to these space are two multi-function rooms with the” in to out” capable golf practice and work-out room on one side of the living room and a conference room on the other. This cabin feel, log construction clubhouse blends perfectly the natural mountain surrounding in Happy Valley, and is located directly in the middle of the Blue and White golf course, adjacent to the range, and short walk to both the private to team’s short game area or long game practice area.
Nye – Builds and Goes National in Scope
On Aug, 28, 1992 it was announced that former Bowling Green head men’s and women’s coach, Greg Nye, would take over the men’s team from retiree men’s and women’s coach Mary Kennedy-Zierke and lead the Lion golfers in the Big Ten Conference. In Nye’s first season as the Lions’ coach, he led them to six team championships, including the 1993 Eastern Championship. The Lions finished eighth in the Big Ten Championship and were the top-ranking team in District II. Eventually, they finished the season in a tie for 16th at the NCAA East Regional played in Charlottesville, Va. Freshman Dirk Ayers was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year.
The 1993-94 season was one for the record books. In Coach Nye’s second year at the helm, the Nittany Lions went on to claim eight tournament titles. Penn State was in its second year as a member of the Big Ten Conference and the Nittany Lions went to Madison, Wis. and finished in sixth place.
When the newest edition of the Blue and White golf courses opened in 1994, golfers were greeted with completely new routings for both courses. The back nine of the Blue Course from the 1970 design became the current front nine and a new nine-holes, designed by Tom Clark, 1971 Penn State graduate, was built for the Blue Course as the back nine. The new Blue Course was completely opened for play on May 13,
1994 with a par of 72 and length of 6,525 yards. The White Course was reduced to 12 holes and six new holes were added, becoming a par-70, 6,008-yard layout.
With the NCAA regional system put into play in 1989 the Nittany Lions qualified annually for the NCAA East Regional and reached the NCAA finals in 1996. The 1996 Nittany Lion team made history, becoming the first Northeast golf program to qualify for NCAA finals since regionals began. Adam Decker, a one time Penn State walk – on, nearly won the NCAA East Regional finishing second, and went on the following year to make the All America team.
Following their historic achievement in the spring of 1996, the Lions wasted no time proving that they were once again the top team in District II. Like in 1994, the Nittany Lions captured a record eight tournament titles.
With 29 team titles in six seasons, Penn State was dominating the Northeast and changed its schedule to a more national one. Over the next five seasons, the Lions traveled to such places as Texas, Florida, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, California, Colorado and Hawaii. Though these years the Nittany Lions were lead by the program’s 13th All-American, Matt Abbott.
The product of a more difficult schedule came together for the 2003-04 team. Early in the fall of 2003, the Nittany Lions captured three tournament titles in a row. The key to the schedule that season was winning the MacDonald Cup, hosted by Yale University. The Yale University GC was the host of the spring’s NCAA East Regional.
After 36 holes of the Regional, the Nittany Lions were shocking the college golf world. In the lead with 18 holes to play, the Lions ended up finishing second behind Clemson University. Nye’s team went on to beat No. 1-ranked Florida, as well as Georgia, Georgia Tech, Auburn and North Carolina. Two weeks later, the Lions would ride the momentum of their regional finish and become the first Northeast golf team of the stroke-play era to make the cut at the NCAA Finals. Mark Leon went on to finish in sixth place and became Penn State’s 14th All-American.
In the spring of 2005, in order to compete with Big Ten Conference facilities, the Blue Course and varsity practice facilities underwent their most recent renovation and additions. The Blue Course was lengthened some 700 yards to 7,228 yards. Water hazards were added to holes two, three, five and 15. The most significant changes to the Blue Course occurred on holes seven and eight. Hole seven became 465 yards, par four and hole eight was reduced to 215 yards, par three. New tee boxes, two fairway bunkers, a pitch green, and practice bunker were added to the practice facilities located on the range. A new two-plus acre varsity short-game area was built for the teams behind the 14th green of the Blue Course. The area includes a 13,000-sq. ft. putting and chipping green and an 10,000 sq. ft. “impact” green, surrounded by three fairways and bunkers of four different styles. A big change occurred to college golf in the summer of 2007. The NCAA Golf Committee had decided to change the NCAA Regional qualification system. Districts no longer existed and qualifying for Regional play was now based purely on a team’s national rank.
Big National Wins Bring Highest Ranking
In the fall of 2007, Indiana played host to the Wolf Run Intercollegiate where the Lions would knock off Big Ten rivals Indiana, Michigan and Northwestern, as well as SEC teams like Kentucky and Arkansas to claim the first of two consecutive wins. The confident Lions went to Richmond, Va., the next week and defended their VCU Shootout title. In that victory, Penn State knocked off perennial top-25 teams Wake Forest and North Carolina. Kevin Foley claimed the individual title with a 15-under-par performance. The following week the Lions received their highest-ever national ranking, at No. 6 in the nation. They were also named Golfweek Magazine “Team of the Week” for their recent play. The Lions would finish the regular season with a stunning head-tohead record of 119-15-0.
At the Central Regional, led by a second-place finish from two time All-Big Ten selection Robert Rohanna, the Lions finished tied for eighth place and advanced on to the NCAA Finals hosted by Big Ten member Purdue. After three rounds of play at the NCAA Finals, the Lions stood in 25th place of the 30 teams and would miss the 54- hole cut. Kevin Foley advanced as an individual to the final round and finished 23rd and became Penn State’s 15th All-American. Coach Nye was named Mid-Atlantic Region Coach of the Year for the sixth time.
2013 U.S. Open Unique Connection to PSU
As the 2013 US Open at the Merion Golf Club in Ardmore, Pennsylvania, quickly approached, its unique connection to Penn State became even more relevant.
Scott Nye, brother of men’s golf head coach Greg Nye, is the host Head Golf Professional for this prominent sporting event. In addition, Penn State alumnus Matt Shaffer is the Director of Golf Course Operations at Merion. Shaffer has been heavily involved in the ongoing preparation of the course for the championship, which is to be held June 13-16. He has met every request of the USGA to update this course in order to best serve the world’s best professional golfers, all while overseeing the turfgrass care of the facilities.
Scott Nye has been working hard as a spokesperson for Merion leading up to the event, including local presentations, daily interactions with members and guests, and media interviews nationwide. Nye has said the excitement in the surrounding Philadelphia areas is “off the charts” for the upcoming US Open. While the 2013 US Open and Penn State ties are evident, there is yet another reason the event’s location hits close to home for the Nittany Lion golf family. Assistant coach Mark Leon played at the Merion Golf Club in 2005 for the U.S. Amateur. He performed incredibly well on this nationally recognized course that was the pinnacle of professional golf when it welcomed the Open.
Nittany Lion Postseason Success
Penn State would attract attention on a national scale again in 2017 when the Nittany Lions posted one of their best finishes in the Big Ten Conference Championship with a tie for fourth place. Charles Hunzinger (t-4) and Cole Miller (t-6) would secure places in the top 10 as Penn State improved two spots on the final day.
Days later, Penn State would learn its NCAA Regional destination as the Nittany Lions would make their 23rd regional appearance as a program and 20th under head coach Greg Nye. The Nittany Lions were the No. 48 overall seed heading into NCAA Regionals and would compete at the Washington Regional with the likes of topranked USC, Kent State, a No. 2 seed, and No. 12 in the nation, and Texas A&M, at the three seed, and 13th in the country, as opponents.
In sixth after the first day, the Nittany Lions relied on the steady play of Miller, who carded a two-under 69 for sixth place overall. Huntzinger tallied a 72 in first-round play. Miller duplicated his performance in the second round with another 2-under 69 while Ryan Davis moved up 29 spots into a tie for 16th with his 69 on day two. Miller tallied a third round of under-par score with a 68 to win the regional’s individual championship at 7-under, just the second Nittany Lion to accomplish that feat.
For Penn State, it would be its fifth trip to the NCAA Championship where the Nittany Lions, the lowest-seeded squad in the 30-team field, tied Lipscomb for 24th place. Five teams seeded higher finished behind Penn State as it finished with a 27-over 891 over the three rounds.
The Nittany Lions improved four spots on the final day with freshman Ryan Davis recording a two-over 218 (76-71-71) to lead Penn State. Miller posted a 219 total.
