Pirates Set to Defend BIG EAST Title This Weekend

[Halldan1]

Pirates Set to Defend BIG EAST Title This Weekend - Seton Hall University Athletics

The Seton Hall men's golf team will look to defend its title at the 2023 BIG EAST Championship this weekend at Riverton Pointe Country Club in Hardeeville, S.C.

shupirates.com

HARDEEVILLE, S.C. – The Seton Hall men's golf team will look to defend its title at the 2023 BIG EAST Championship this weekend at Riverton Pointe Country Club in Hardeeville, S.C.

After seemingly finding a permanent home for the Championship event at Callawassie Resort, the tournament will be played at a different course for the fourth consecutive spring. This time, the field isn't far down the road from Callawassie at beautiful Riverton Pointe Country Club. The women's championship was held at the same location last week.

The Pirates are coming off a strong showing during the 2022-23 year and possess the third-best Golfstat Ranking in the 10-team BIG EAST entering the marquee event. The Hall averaged 293.64 strokes per round, which was the fifth-best in program history and the fourth-lowest in the BIG EAST this year. The Hall opened the year with a 12-stroke victory at the Alex Lagowitz Memorial and proceeded to collect three additional Top-5 finishes.

Seton Hall has won the team BIG EAST title three times, including last year. Four individuals have claimed the conference championship as well, including 2022 graduate Gregor Tait, who was a remarkable 11-under-par.

Tournament Details:
2023 BIG EAST CHAMPIONSHIP
Host: BIG EAST Conference
Location: Hardeeville, S.C.
Resort: Riverton Pointe Country Club
Course Vitals: Par-72, 7,006 yards
Dates: April 28-30, 2023

THE COURSE
Riverton Pointe is without question the ultimate expression of the Nicklaus Design guarantee of uncompromising standards in superior golf course design. With large, subtle greens and fairways lined with tall sea pines and splashes of colorful wildflowers, the course is designed to harmonize perfectly with the lush Low Country landscape. The unique aesthetics of the course create a distinct visual experience that simply can't be replicated, and are destined to leave a lasting impression on those fortunate enough to enjoy Riverton Pointe.

From a playability standpoint, the golf course is designed to appeal to a broad range of players. The course offers five sets of tees – stretching all the way out to over 7300 yards for low-handicappers – while also placing an emphasis on forgiveness and overall playability for high-handicappers and beginners.

THE FIELD
The field will be limited to only the 10 member schools of the BIG EAST Conference. Below are the teams in order of their Golfstat ranking.

1. Marquette – 56
2. Butler – 166
3. SETON HALL – 169
4. Connecticut - 173
5. St. John's – 181
6. DePaul – 203
7. Xavier – 204
8. Creighton – 207
9. Georgetown – 219
10. Villanova – 230

THE FORMAT
Teams will play five golfers and count the four lowest scores per round.

THE LINEUP
Seton Hall will be bringing the following lineup to South Carolina:

1. Wenliang Xie, Senior

Xie is coming off a stellar senior year, which featured two Top-10 finishes and a team-high 10 sub-par rounds. The senior tied for third at the with a 5-under-par at the Alex Lagowitz Memorial to begin the year and placed seventh at the UConn Invitational. Xie enters the BIG EAST Championship averaging 73.80 strokes per round, which ranks 17th in the conference.

1. George Fricker, Sophomore

Fricker took the BIG EAST by storm in his first year in South Orange. The sophomore collected three Top-10 finishes, including a tie for second place at the Dartmouth Invitational. He had nine sub-par rounds and three sub-par tournaments, including the Princeton Invitational only three weeks ago. Fricker averaged 73.44 strokes per round this year, which was 12th in the BIG EAST.

1. Wanxi Sun, Junior

Sun took a big step forward in his junior year, leading the team with a 73.00 stroke average, which ranked eighth-best in the BIG EAST. He tied Seton Hall's record for most strokes under par in a single-tournament for a Pirate when he won the Alex Lagowitz Memorial with a remarkable 11-under-par score. Sun had three Top-10 finishes and eight sub-par rounds this year.

1. David Lally, Freshman

Lally had an impressive first year in South Orange, averaging 77.11 strokes per round, which was 56th in the BIG EAST Conference. His spring average was just 74.64 as he participated in all four tournaments. The freshman had two sub-par rounds this year, both only a few weeks ago at the Princeton Invitational.

1. Angus O'Brien, Sophomore

O'Brien makes his second appearance at the BIG EAST Championship after playing a key role in Seton Hall's title last year, tying for sixth at 2-under-par. This year, the Australian is averaging 76.40 strokes per round, which ranks 47th in the conference.

LAST TIME OUT
Senior Wenliang Xie (Zhaoqing, China) fired a 4-under-par, 67, in the final round to lift the Seton Hall men's golf team to a fifth-place finish at the Princeton Invitational on April 9.

Xie's round was one of the best all season for any Pirate as he was flawless for 18 holes. He had four birdies and 14 pars in route to his best round of the year. For the tournament, Xie shot 28 spots up the leader board on the final day to tie for 18th place with an even-par, 78-68-67-213.

As a team, The Hall rounded out the Princeton Invitational with a 4-over-par, 288, in round three. The Pirates placed fifth with an even-par, 284-280-288-852, for the tournament. Harvard won the team title at 15-under-par. Seton Hall's lone BIG EAST competition, Georgetown, finished at 12-over-par.

The top individual Seton Hall performer for the tournament was George Fricker (Woodbridge, England). The sophomore finished up an impressive three rounds with a 4-over-par, 75, in round three. For the event, he tied for 10th with a 3-under-par, 67-68-75-210. Harvard's Brian Ma won the individual title at 9-under-par.

LAST YEAR AT THE BIG EAST CHAMPIONSHIP
Graduate student Gregor Tait fired a remarkable 7-under-par, 65, to lift the Pirates to its first BIG EAST Championship in 22 years. Tait's effort earned him a share of the BIG EAST individual crown.

Tait started the day six strokes behind UConn's Caleb Manuel, but put together one of the finest rounds in Seton Hall history to catch the Husky and become the Pirates' fourth BIG EAST champion. He started his round with four straight birdies and added a fifth on the eighth hole, entering the turn at 4-under-par. He was still four-under through 15 holes before taking his game to another level when the Pirates needed him most. Tait eagled the par-5, 16th hole, parred 17 and birdied 18 with a lengthy putt that caused the Pirate faithful in attendance to roar.

The result?... a 7-under-par, 65, which ties Seton Hall's single-round par-72 record. For the tournament, Tait claimed the co-championship, with Manuel, with an 11-under-par, 70-70-65-205. His 205 is the second-lowest three-round par-72 total in Seton Hall history and shatters the program's record for a BIG EAST Tournament, which was 210 set by another former champion Lloyd Jefferson Go in 2016.

As a team, the Pirates entered the day just one stroke behind a duo of team leaders, Marquette and Connecticut. While UConn faded, Marquette and The Hall slugged it out back-and-forth until the Pirates took control late. Seton Hall finished with a 10-under-par, 278, in round three to win the tournament by three strokes over Marquette. The Hall's 278 is the lowest single-round in Pirate history at the BIG EAST Championship and the third-lowest par-72 round for any tournament.

THE STAKES
The BIG EAST will crown a team champion, which earns an automatic berth to the 2023 NCAA Championship. The individual champion also receives an NCAA Championship invitation.

TEE TIMES
The field will play one round (18 holes) over each day for three days. Competition on Friday and Saturday will begin at 8:00 a.m. On Championship Sunday, the action will begin at 8:30 a.m. Seton Hall will be paired with golfers from Marquette and Butler in round one and will tee off the first hole.

THE RESULTS
Live scoring will be available at GolfStat.com. Full day results will also be available at SHUPirates.com.

 

[Halldan1]

First day results

Team - Big East Men's Golf Champion. - 2023-04-28

results.golfstat.com

 

[Halldan1]

 

[HallX2]

Good coach. Good players. Good men too.

 

[sami]

That interview makes me so happy. Love JT, should out to Mr. Gary Dunne on the assist and our own John Fanta with the interview. And of course, our men with the 4-stroke lead.

Talked to JT on Monday, team needs some support. They are trying to dig deep to get the kids some good gear this upcoming season because Under Armour golf gear sucks for SHU blue. If you can spare a few dollars, couple bucks could be directed to mens golf. That’s where my PB donation is going.

 

[PJVegas]

Great start to the defense. Keep it going!

 

[SHUisNJsTeam]

That interview makes me so happy. Love JT, should out to Mr. Gary Dunne on the assist and our own John Fanta with the interview. And of course, our men with the 4-stroke lead.

Talked to JT on Monday, team needs some support. They are trying to dig deep to get the kids some good gear this upcoming season because Under Armour golf gear sucks for SHU blue. If you can spare a few dollars, couple bucks could be directed to mens golf. That’s where my PB donation is going.

We need to go back to Nike.

 

[Halldan1]

Xie, Sun Shine Setting Stage for Epic Final Round, Sunday - Seton Hall University Athletics

Senior Wenliang Xie (Zhaoqing, China) fired a 3-under-par, 69, and the Seton Hall men's golf team trails Marquette by just one stroke entering Sunday's final round

shupirates.com

​

Xie, Sun Shine Setting Stage for Epic Final Round, Sunday​

HARDEEVILLE, S.C. – Senior Wenliang Xie (Zhaoqing, China) fired a 3-under-par, 69, and the Seton Hall men's golf team trails Marquette by just one stroke entering Sunday's final round of the BIG EAST Championship.

Xie was 1-over-par through five, but then took his game to a higher level. The senior was 5-under-par from holes six through 16 and finished with a 3-under-par, 69. For the tournament, Xie is tied for 10th among all individuals with a 1-under-par, 74-69-143.

The Hall entered the day with a four-stroke lead on the field, and it appeared as though it was going to maintain the advantage, but the final two holes proved costly on Saturday. When Marquette finished its round, the Pirates had a three-stroke lead, but where the Pirates were collectively 1-under-par on holes 17 and 18 yesterday, they were 7-over-par today. All five Pirates bogeyed hole No. 17.

Still, the Pirates trail Marquette by only one stroke with 18 holes to play. If history is any indication of what lies ahead, The Hall should like its position. Seton Hall trailed Connecticut and Marquette by one stroke entering round three last year and went on to win the championship by three strokes.

The Pirates shot a 1-under-par, 287, in round two and are currently 3-under-par with a 286-287-573 for the tournament. Marquette is the leader at 4-under-par, while St. John's lurks only one stroke behind the Pirates at 2-over-par. Both Marquette and St. John's shot a remarkable 9-under-par on Saturday to muddy the top of the leader board.

George Fricker (Woodbridge, England) remains the top Pirate competitor for the tournament. On Saturday, he was flawless through 10 holes, but ran into some difficulty on the back nine. The sophomore finished with a stellar 1-over-par, 73. Fricker is currently tied for eighth among all individuals with a 2-under-par, 69-73-142.

St. John's Jack Simon leads the individual field by three strokes at 7-under-par with 18 holes left to play.

Another big breakout on Saturday was Wanxi Sun (Danville, Calif.). The junior shaved off four strokes from his first-round score, using five birdies to fuel a 2-under-par, 70. For the tournament, he's tied for 13th place with an even-par, 74-70-144.

Freshman David Lally (Wicklow, Ireland) had another strong effort in his first BIG EAST Championship. He had 13 pars in route to a 3-over-par, 75. He's currently tied with Sun for 13th place at even-par with a 69-75-144.

Joshua Lee (Lantana, Texas) subbed in for the second round and didn't disappoint. The sophomore was even-par through 12 holes, but struggled late. Lee finished with a strong 3-over-par, 75, thanks largely to four birdies.

Tournament Details:
2023 BIG EAST CHAMPIONSHIP
Host: BIG EAST Conference
Location: Hardeeville, S.C.
Resort: Riverton Pointe Country Club
Course Vitals: Par-72, 7,006 yards
Dates: April 28-30, 2023

TOURNAMENT LEADER BOARDS​
Team Leaders​	Player Leaders​	Combo Listing​	Statistical Leaders​	Twitter​

THE COURSE
Riverton Pointe is without question the ultimate expression of the Nicklaus Design guarantee of uncompromising standards in superior golf course design. With large, subtle greens and fairways lined with tall sea pines and splashes of colorful wildflowers, the course is designed to harmonize perfectly with the lush Low Country landscape. The unique aesthetics of the course create a distinct visual experience that simply can't be replicated, and are destined to leave a lasting impression on those fortunate enough to enjoy Riverton Pointe.

From a playability standpoint, the golf course is designed to appeal to a broad range of players. The course offers five sets of tees – stretching all the way out to over 7300 yards for low-handicappers – while also placing an emphasis on forgiveness and overall playability for high-handicappers and beginners.

THE FIELD
The field will be limited to only the 10 member schools of the BIG EAST Conference. Below are the teams in order of their Golfstat ranking.

1. Marquette – 56
2. Butler – 166
3. SETON HALL – 169
4. Connecticut - 173
5. St. John's – 181
6. DePaul – 203
7. Xavier – 204
8. Creighton – 207
9. Georgetown – 219
10. Villanova – 230

THE FORMAT
Teams will play five golfers and count the four lowest scores per round.

THE STAKES
The BIG EAST will crown a team champion, which earns an automatic berth to the 2023 NCAA Championship. The individual champion also receives an NCAA Championship invitation.

TEE TIMES
The field will play one round (18 holes) over each day for three days. On Championship Sunday, the action will begin at 8:30 a.m. Seton Hall will be paired with golfers from Marquette and St. John's in round three and will tee off the first hole beginning at 9:12 a.m. The Pirate schedule looks like this for Sunday…

LEE (HALL), Josh Robinson (MU) and Cage Wolfle (SJU) – 9:12 a.m.
LALLY (HALL), Max Lyons (MU) and Tyler Gerbavsits (SJU) – 9:22 a.m.
SUN (HALL), Nicolas Evangelio (MU) and Peicheng Chen (SJU) – 9:32 a.m.
XIE (HALL), Tyler Leach (MU) and Ryan Rittberger (SJU) – 9:42 a.m.
FRICKER (HALL), Bhoom Sima-Aree (MU) and Jack Simon (SJU) – 9:52 a.m.

THE RESULTS
Live scoring will be available at GolfStat.com. Full day results will also be available at SHUPirates.com.

 

[HallBall'n]

Have a great round. Go Pirates!

 

[garyshu71]

These guys are really good players. Lots of birds.

 

[garyshu71]

Finished third. Scores blew up today quite a bit. Still a good showing!

 

[Halldan1]

Pirates Title Defense Falls Short in Windy Final Round​

HARDEEVILLE, S.C. – The Seton Hall men's golf team was within striking distance of a successful BIG EAST Championship defense for two and a half rounds, but ultimately, fell short and placed third at the conference's marquee event on Sunday.

The Pirates entered the final round trailing top-seeded Marquette by just one stroke, but struggled on the back nine as 50 mile per hour wind gusts rattled the field. Scores were way up for all teams, and The Hall finished with a 24-over-par, 312, on Sunday. For the tournament, Seton Hall placed third with a 21-over-par, 286-287-312-885. Marquette won the title and the automatic bid to the NCAA Regionals with a 9-over-par score. St. John's finished second at 12-over-par.

Despite the disappointing final round, The Hall recorded its fourth straight Top-3 finish at the BIG EAST Championship, a program first.

Seton Hall newcomers George Fricker (Woodbridge, England) and David Lally (Wicklow, Ireland) had the team's top rounds despite the wind, each shooting a 5-over-par, 77.

Fricker had three birdies on the day, but also four double-bogeys. Still, he was the top Pirate performer for the weekend, tying for ninth among all individuals with a 3-over-par, 69-73-77-219. It's his fourth Top-10 finish this year.

Lally had five bogeys and 13 pars in round three. Playing in his first-ever BIG EAST Championship, the freshman tied for 14th place with a 5-over-par, 69-75-77-221.

St. John's Jack Simon buried a 20-foot putt on the 18th hole to force a playoff with Marquette's Bhoom Sima-Aree for the individual title. The golfers were 3-under-par for the tournament. Simon went on to win the playoff and earn the BIG EAST's automatic bid to the NCAA Regionals.

Senior Wenliang Xie (Zhaoqing, China) had three birdies on the front nine, and was just 1-ove-par at the turn, but struggled on the back and finished with a 7-over-par, 79, in round three. For the tournament, he placed 18th with a 6-over-par, 74-69-79-222.

Wanxi Sun (Danville, Calif.) was cruising and made the turn at 1-under-par, but found the water on the 10th hole. A triple bogey on 10 and a double on 11 turned a promising round into a struggle for the junior. He finished with an 8-over-par, 80. For the tournament, Sun tied for 23rd with an 8-over-par, 74-70-80-224.

Sophomore Joshua Lee (Lantana, Texas) had no double-bogeys on the day and finished with a 7-over-par, 79. He shot a 3-over-par, 75, in the second round.

Tournament Details:
2023 BIG EAST CHAMPIONSHIP
Host: BIG EAST Conference
Location: Hardeeville, S.C.
Resort: Riverton Pointe Country Club
Course Vitals: Par-72, 7,006 yards
Dates: April 28-30, 2023

TOURNAMENT LEADER BOARDS​
Team Leaders​	Player Leaders​	Combo Listing​	Statistical Leaders​	Twitter​

THE COURSE
Riverton Pointe is without question the ultimate expression of the Nicklaus Design guarantee of uncompromising standards in superior golf course design. With large, subtle greens and fairways lined with tall sea pines and splashes of colorful wildflowers, the course is designed to harmonize perfectly with the lush Lowcountry landscape. The unique aesthetics of the course create a distinct visual experience that simply can't be replicated, and are destined to leave a lasting impression on those fortunate enough to enjoy Riverton Pointe.

From a playability standpoint, the golf course is designed to appeal to a broad range of players. The course offers five sets of tees – stretching all the way out to over 7300 yards for low-handicappers – while also placing an emphasis on forgiveness and overall playability for high-handicappers and beginners.

THE FIELD
The field was limited to only the 10 member schools of the BIG EAST Conference. Below are the teams in order of their Golfstat ranking.

1. Marquette – 56
2. Butler – 166
3. SETON HALL – 169
4. Connecticut - 173
5. St. John's – 181
6. DePaul – 203
7. Xavier – 204
8. Creighton – 207
9. Georgetown – 219
10. Villanova – 230

THE FORMAT
Teams played five golfers and count the four lowest scores per round.

UP NEXT
This concludes the 2022-23 year for the Pirates. Seton Hall will return to the course this fall.