The Richmond Spiders men’s golf team is tied for fourth place after the opening day of the Giles-Spratley Collegiate at Independence Golf Club, according to an April 6 announcement. The team finished Rounds 1 and 2 with a combined score of four-under par (572), matching their Atlantic-10 rival VCU. Both teams are trailing Liberty, Florida Gulf Coast, and leader Charleston in a field of sixteen teams.
This event marks Richmond’s return to hosting a tournament at its home course since the COVID-19 pandemic. The team’s performance on familiar grounds was highlighted by junior Jack LaPiana, who finished his second round strongly with three birdies in his last four holes. “I was rolling it well all day and then I strung together a couple of good shots and just happened to get a few to go in so that was a nice finish. There’s still a lot of work to do for the team and individually, but that was good,” said LaPiana, who is currently tied for seventh at three-under par (141).
Junior Quin Polin opened with an impressive four-under 68 but followed with a two-over 74 in Round 2, placing him tied for twelfth at two-under par (142). Sophomore Carson Baez is tied for twenty-second at one-under par after playing the course’s par fives in eight-under on Monday—the second-best mark among all competitors—and making two eagles.
Other notable performances include junior Parker Moellinger tied for forty-first at two-over par (146) and freshman Lucas Rizo-Patron tied for sixty-third at five-over par (149). Three additional Richmond golfers are competing as individuals: senior Drew Carlin leads this group, sitting tied for forty-seventh after rounds of seventy-six and seventy-one.
Reflecting on playing the home course, LaPiana said: “I just think when you don’t have your best stuff you’re able kind of scrape it around and get a good round out of it, even if you’re not hitting it well or not putting it well, just because you know every inch of this golf course you can kind of play your misses pretty well. It’s not as hard as playing a course you’ve never played before.”
Tee times for Tuesday’s final round will begin at eight o’clock in the morning.
