Georgetown’s quest to defend last year’s Big East Championship got off to a solid start last weekend as the men’s golf team placed third in their opening tournament, the 17th annual Navy Golf Classic in Annapolis, Md.

Weather clearly affected the field’s performance throughout the two-day, 36-hole event. Round one was played under nearly perfect conditions with sunny skies and little wind, allowing for aggressive play and low scores. In contrast, the second 18 holes were plagued with rainfall that affected shot-making in the final round.

Despite the varying weather, the Hoyas carded consistent team scores on both days, finishing a respectable 13-over par for the 36-hole event. Leading the way was Brian Dorfman, who posted consecutive rounds of 72 on the par-71 course. His second round score was particularly impressive, as the rainy conditions made scoring more difficult. The junior’s cumulative score of two-over par was enough to tie for ninth. Dorfman was followed closely by classmate Taylor Hall, who started by shooting a 69, the low round for the team, and closed with a 76 for an 11th-place finish.

Senior co-captain and reigning all-Big East selection Brandon Ellis finished in a tie for 16th along with sophomore teammate Curtis Loop. Senior co-captain Danny Hathway tied for 31st, shooting 74 for the final 18 to round out the squad.

The University of Delaware quickly separated itself from the field and enjoyed an eightstroke advantage after day one. While the Blue Hens’ score was 21 shots higher in the second round, they were able to maintain their eight-stroke lead and won with a two-day cumulative score of 1-over par.

Towson claimed second with a nine-over par showing, while Navy and Villanova rounded out the top five.

Delaware was led by Justin Martinson and Kevin McLister, who each posted two day scores of -7 and -4 for second and third place behind Towson’s John Duthie. Duthie, a senior, got out ahead early with a first round of 63 – two shots shy of the course record – before finishing with a 70 and a score of 9-under par.

Head Coach Thomas Hunter, who is in his 26th season at the helm, expressed nothing but optimism and excitement when assessing his team’s performance for the opening weekend.

“We’re very pleased with the start of our season,” Hunter said. “Anytime you finish in the top five in a major collegiate event, you know that you’re moving in the right direction.”

Georgetown’s solid start builds off of the momentum generated by last season’s remarkable run to the top of the Big East tournament. Last year’s team, despite being seeded 11th, stormed through the field en route to the conference championship, the program’s first since 1998. Consistency and depth, as displayed last weekend, will be essential on the Hoyas’ road to defending their title.

Of course, the conference tournament is several weeks and events away, so Hunter prefers to focus on the short term.

“We are going to take it one step at a time and move forward during these next couple of weeks and improve.”

The Hoyas will have this weekend off to refine their game before heading back to the road for the Gridiron Classic, which will be hosted by rival Notre Dame on Sept. 27 and 28.