By Brandon Ladd

The Oswego State golf team returned to action this past weekend for the first time since the fall season in the Hershey Cup hosted by the University of Rochester in Hershey, Pennsylvania. 

The team finished 15 out of 17 teams for the two day tournament and did not have an individual post a score below 80 either of the rounds. Still, it was a chance for the team to get back to playing golf outside, as the early spring weather has prevented them from being able to practice outside. 

The five scoring golfers for the Lakers, in order of finishing position, were Jake Owens (164), Anthony Robinson (171), Ryan Fecco (175), Joseph Marszalek (175) and Tyler Donohue (184). Despite finishing well out of contention in the tournament, Oswego State was in the same region of the leaderboard as its top Empire 8 competition. With St. John Fisher College finishing in 12th and Utica College finishing 16th. 

The tournament served its purpose of being practice rounds before the conference championship is on the line in the Empire 8 Spring Championships, April 15 and 16. That tournament will take place in Hershey as well. Meaning the Lakers can continue trying to get a feel for the course, building off the opening tournament of spring. Merszalek described how getting outside again and finding an outside swing felt. 

“[The team] went out there on Saturday and got a practice round in just to get on the course,” Merszalek said. “That was actually our first outside round since the fall season. So, that was a little interesting just to get out there for the first time, we have been hitting balls in Romney [Field House]. To get a feel for your own swing outside was the key to everything, just getting reps and comfortable with your own swing.” 

Merszalek was willing to give his teammates a pass for the way they played in Hershey, as the return to the course revealed rust caused from the winter layoff. 

“Owens did play decent, he did not play great but he obviously did not do as bad as the other guys,” Merszalek said. “Fecco, when he is hot, he is really hot, which fortunately in his four years he is more ‘hot-hot’ than not. If he does not have it, he does tend to struggle. But that was the case and I do not blame him, we have not swung a golf club for six months, outside at least.” 

The team had to get their legs back underneath them after the long layoff as well according to Merszalek. He felt tired from walking the course throughout his two rounds, especially after having the practice round on Saturday. The conditions did not help either, as cold temperatures and rain made the return to outside harder. Still, the point of the past weekend was to get a feel for the course before returning April 15 for the Empire 8 Championship. 

The team finished third out of seven teams in the Empire 8 Fall Conference Championship, which was held in Baldwinsville on Oct. 2 and 3, 2021. This serves as the first two rounds of the conference championship and the Lakers are still within striking distance entering the spring portion. Currently, Oswego State sits 17 strokes behind St. John Fisher College, who leads the tournament with a combined +52. There is work to be done though, as the Cardinals shot 54 strokes better than the Lakers over the two days of the Hershey Cup. 

Meaning the Lakers would have to figure out how to tune their games up enough to close that competitive gap before the tournament and also the actual gap of 17 shots once play starts. Merszalek still believes in the team’s ability. 

“St. John Fisher did place better than us, they are leading our conference tournament right now by 17 shots,” Merszalek said. “That is doable to make up and then Utica College is in second by 16 shots and we beat them this past weekend. Utica is kind of out of it after losing their best player to graduation in December and it is who Fecco was tied for the individual championship with. So, he has an even better shot now to win it.” 

Photos provided by Oswego State Athletics