The Binghamton golf team bounced back this past week, securing a second-place finish in their annual home tournament at the Matthews Auto Collegiate Invitational with a score of 576/even to par, after a last-place finish in the previous intercollegiate tournament at The Goat in Maryland. This marked a major improvement, with two players placing in the top 10 individually.

“Home-field advantage played a role,” said Binghamton head coach Bernie Herceg. “In golf, you may only get that once a year, and when it happens, you don’t have to travel or stay in a hotel, which helps a lot. Familiarity with the course throughout the year is a big advantage. Knowing how to play the holes, whether in poor or good weather, really helps. We have a great advantage knowing the course and having our guys compete well.”

Junior Harrison Blech led the Bearcats on day one, finishing tied for seventh on the leaderboard. Blech started strong on Sunday with a shooting 70/2 under par in the first round good to finish the day tied for sixth place. He maintained his consistency on Monday, shooting an even-par 72 in the second round, ending with a score of 142/2 under par through both rounds. In addition, junior Sean Shen tied for 10th, posting a score of 72/even to par in both rounds, with birdies on hole 14 in rounds one and two. He finished shooting 144/even to par for the tournament.

“[Blech] focused on his putting, which has been an area of weakness for him, particularly from distances of 10 to 15 feet,” Herceg said. “He improved his speed and putt well, making a lot of short birdie putts and managing two long putts. [Shen] was very similar — he’s a good ball striker, and although his putting could have been better, he was consistent with both his driver and putter. He could have been under par for both rounds.”

Looking to give both himself and his team a boost in the rankings during the final round on day two, senior Ryan Millevoi delivered a solid performance. His round was highlighted by birdies on holes 12, 14, 15 and 18, and despite a bogey in round 18, Ryan lowered his final score to 145/1 over par for a 17th-place tie.

“I thought it was a perfect tournament,” Herceg said. “Especially after our performance two weeks ago. The team worked hard. Despite some sloppy play early on, they were more consistent this time and put much better. This was the largest field we’ve ever had, with stronger competition than in recent years. Typically, we have around 15 teams, so that made a difference this time.”

Elsewhere in the final rankings, junior Brandon Conner finished the tournament tied for 28th overall with a final scorecard of 147/3 over par after a strong performance in Sunday’s first round, shooting 71/3 under par. Overall, there was a significant improvement for the squad this time around, resulting in a final cumulative tally of 576/even par, leading to a second-place finish at their home tournament.

“Hard work pays off, but you also have to execute properly in a tournament,” Herceg said. “The guys gained more confidence, even after not playing well on the first few holes. They picked up some birdies and carried positive momentum into the rest of the day. Although we didn’t start out hot, we were doing great by the end. Sacred Heart won, but we made some clutch shots down the stretch, and the guys performed well.”

The Bearcats will hope to maintain their momentum when they head to the Lehigh Invitational from Saturday, Oct. 19 to Sunday, Oct. 20. Tee times are yet to be determined at the Saucon Valley Country Club in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.