Should his career in coaching take an unexpected turn, Georgetown men’s golf Head Coach Tommy Hunter should look into a career as a fortune teller.
Following last weekend’s second-place finish at the Big Five Invitational in Philadelphia, Hunter claimed that his team, led by “cornerstone” sophomore Tim Hager, would finish the season strong against rivals William and Mary and Penn State in the upcoming Hoya Invitational.
Hunter’s words seemed prophetic Sunday, as the Hoyas won their first tournament of the year, shooting a 32-over-par 600 to edge the Tribe and the Nittany Lions on the final day of the weekend tournament. The Hoyas were led by Hager, who finished fifth individually with a six-over-par 148.
“I am very proud of my guys that we were able to come away with a win against strong competition,” Hunter said. “The way in which we won was great – we never panicked down the stretch.”
The team’s underclassmen performed well at the Members Club at Four Steams in Bealsville, Md., on Sunday, as freshman Donald Thomas shot a one-under par on the second day of the tournament for an 11th-place individual finish
Clutch performances from Hager, Thomas and senior Tim Moynihan (nine-over-par 151, 15th place) helped Georgetown rally from a four-stroke deficit on the final day of its fall season and earn its first victory as the hosts of the tournament in four years.
The one-stroke victory was a strong finish for the Hoyas, who have steadily improved over the course of the season.
“It goes to show you, every stroke counts,” Hunter said of his team’s come-from-behind victory. “We’ve said that all year long, and it was great to see it land in our favor.”
William and Mary entered Sunday in the driver’s seat, with Penn State, led by the outstanding play of junior Robert Rohanna, nipping at the Tribe’s heels. But in the end, it was the Hoyas who emerged at the top of the 12-team lineup with top-50 performances from sophomore Patrick Sherry and senior Matt Busa.
“I am very happy for our two seniors, as well as our three younger guys,” Hunter said. “It was such a great team effort for us.”
Coupled with the outstanding play of his underclassmen, this weekend’s victory has Hunter invigorated to start the upcoming spring season.
“This win bolstered our confidence tenfold,” Hunter said. “We needed this to provide incentive for the coming cold months to keep working for the spring.”
The spring season begins March 20, when Hunter and the Hoyas will try to fend off a vengeful attack from the Tribe at the William and Mary Invitational in Williamsburg, Va