The Elizabethtown men’s golf team teed off for the first time in the new year on Tuesday afternoon at the Inniscronne Golf Club. After a winter longer than most expected, and one where cold weather is still lingering, the Blue Jays were able to hit the course at the Chestnut Hill Griffin Invitational. As a team, Etown finished 12th out of 16 participating teams. Senior Ryan Laudeman led the charge with a round of 81.

The Blue Jays were at a disadvantage coming into the tournament, sending only four golfers to compete in the Invitational—the minimum number allowed for a team to factor into the team scoring.

Laudeman shot 11-over on the day, placing the Orwigsburg native in a tie for 27th in the individual standings. Currently, Laudeman ranks second on the team in average with a 78.0 this season. Fellow senior, Ryan Forbes, shot an 84 for the round, just three shots back from Laudeman, good enough for a 40th place tie in the individual standings.

Two first-year golfers rounded out the Blue Jays team that competed at the Chestnut Hill Griffin Invititional. Chris Hener shot 23 shots over, finishing with a 93 for the round. Craig Eidle was two shots behind Hener, recording a round of 95 on the afternoon. As a team, the Blue Jays finished with a +73 and a team score of 353.

While two of Etown’s best golfers did compete in the Invitational, the Blue Jays were without three of their top five scorers on Tuesday afternoon. Current stroke per round average leader, sophomore Kyle Hakun, missed Tuesday’s tournament. His 77.8 stroke per round average is just a shade lower than Laudeman’s 78. Fellow sophomore Chuck Johnston, whose average stands at 81.5 and junior Adam Amspacher (83.25), currently rank third and fourth on the stroke per round average list for this year’s squad.

Wilmington (Del.) College took home the team title with a team score of 297 (+17), winning the title by 18 strokes over second place Moravian College. Moravian’s Jim Maru took home the individual title, shooting one-over par. However, no individual golfer was able to shoot under par or break even on an afternoon where golfers were battling bitter 30 degree temperatures all day.

The Blue Jays will return to the course on Tuesday afternoon where they will compete in the Alvernia Spring Invitational.