Men Just One Back Entering Final Round of Columbia Autumn Invitational

Saturday, September 30

Lake Placid, N.Y. / Lake Placid Golf Club

8:45 AM

Dartmouth College

Columbia Autumn Invitational

Alex Gu competing at Ivy men's golf championship

Senior Alex Gu

Photo by: The Ivy League/Sideline Photos

Men Just One Back Entering Final Round of Columbia Autumn Invitational

9/30/2023 9:10:00 PM | Men's Golf

Results (PDF)

Alex Gu is third at 4-under while Aaron Zhang is fourth at 3-under

By: Rick Bender

LAKE PLACID, N.Y. — After struggling in its first two fall tournaments, the men's golf team showed how it is capable of playing, carding a 289-278—567 (-1) over the first two rounds of the Columbia Autumn Invitational on Saturday. The Big Green will enter the final round tomorrow just one stroke behind host Columbia in the 10-team field.

"Today was a great day and we still have plenty of room to grow," said Rich Parker, the Bill Johnson Head Coach of Men's Golf, following the 36 holes of action. We have talented golfers, so it was just a matter of breaking through. I'm really happy for the guys, and we're looking to keep it going tomorrow."

Senior Alex Gu was consistent all day, shooting a 2-under 69 in each round to finish the day in third place out of 63 entrants with a 138 (-4). During his first tour of the par-71 course at the Lake Placid Club, he dropped four birdies to offset a pair of bogeys. In the afternoon, the veteran was 1-over in the round with just four holes to play, but he closed out with three consecutive birdies (giving him five in the round and nine on the day) followed by a par to card his second 69.

The second round is when sophomore Aaron Zhang really found his groove following a solid 1-over 72 to begin the day that featured four consecutive bogeys. He showed some mental toughness, however, by sinking back-to-back birdies coming out of those bogeys and then closed out his opening round with a par. Over his second 18, Zhang produced six birdies and only two bogeys for a team-best 4-under 67 to wrap up his day with a 139 (-3), good for fourth place.

Junior Justin Lee got off to a rough start, taking a triple bogey on his second hole of the day. But he shook it off and settled in, shooting even par over the final 34 holes to find himself in a tie for 12th at 3-over par (145). He balanced out two birdies with two bogeys during his first 18 to card a 74 (+3), then produced five more birdies to go along with nine pars in his second tour of the course for an even-par 71.

The Big Green's two other golfers each contributed a score to the team total. Freshman Tyler Brand had an inauspicious start much like Lee with a double bogey and was 5-over through the first six holes. But he battled back to sink a trio of birdies and finish the first round with a 3-over 74. While sophomore Fin Szafnauer was struggling through the first round, he did an about-face in the afternoon, shaving a dozen strokes from his opening tally thanks to four birdies to shoot even par and contribute to the team's 6-under 278. Brand enters the final round in a tie for 43rd at 9-over and Szafnauer is tied for 51st at 12-over.

Sophomore Cameron Keith also teed up as an individual and provided the highlight of the day with a hole-in-one on the par-3 ninth.

Sacred Heart's Marcus Lim leads the field thanks to a sizzling 8-under 63 in the opening round, finishing his day with a 134 (-8), two strokes ahead of Columbia's Nathan Han, who carded a 65 (-6) in the second round.

The tournament will conclude Sunday at 8:45 a.m. with a shotgun start for the third round.

Notes: The 278 is the second-lowest round for the Big Green ever, with the lowest being a 272 recorded 13 years ago … Dartmouth has had just two lower scores through two rounds and three in relation to par as well.