This past Monday, March 30, the men’s golf team kicked off its spring season at the Geneva Spring Opener in Ellwood City, PA. 

Overall, the team placed third of five teams competing, with senior Matt Karpeal and sophomores Alan Tarolli and Braden Benke placing in the top 10.

Karpeal finished with a score of 80, which was fifth best of the 24-man field. 

Karpeal said despite the performance, he believes he could have competed better. 

“My personal performance was not the greatest yesterday. I struggled in a lot of different areas, but I also was getting some unlucky breaks on the golf course,” Karpeal said. “This will set the tone for what needs to improve over the next few weeks of the season.”

Tarolli finished one stroke further with a score of 81 and tied for sixth place, while Benke was tied for 10th with a score of 83.

Karpeal continued by knowing the conditions were not easy to play on, but also knows how the team can improve itself. 

“The course played tough yesterday, especially due to the high winds. It played very long, and I wasn’t seeing much roll out with any of my shots,” Karpeal said. “As a team, we are looking to refine our overall game, but also really focus on how we perform around the greens. We lost too many shots inside 40 yards, and the results showed.”

Sophomore Brady Donovan continued and said that as a team, the close game is where it matters most.

“We are also looking to improve our short game. Putting and chipping is what wins matches so if we can get that dialed in then we will be good for the rest of the season,” Donovan said. 

The men’s golf team heads back out onto the links on Monday, April 6, for the Thiel Invitational in Sharon, PA. The match is set to begin at 1:00 p.m.