RMU Club Golf Tees-off in NIT

Luke Yost, Contributor

The Robert Morris Club Golf team will continue to tee-off after the spring semester closes on Friday. The Colonials have qualified to compete in the inaugural Spring National Invitational. The tournament will be taking place at the Bogey Hill Country Club in St. Louis, Missouri. This comes after the team competed in the first ever National Invitational this past fall.

The club team made the tournament by winning the Atlantic region in the National Collegiate Club Golf Association, or NCCGA for short. They’re total scores were also good enough to qualify for the tournament.

The team won both of the Atlantic Regional Tournaments. Robert Morris University (A) beat West Virginia University by 21 strokes, to win the first Atlantic Regional Tournament. RMU (B) finished fifth. RMU (A) followed up in the second Atlantic Regional Tournament by beating WVU by 24 strokes.

Third year Club President Matt Vona as a way to show just how well the club golf team has developed during his years as a golfer for the team.

“The club team when I started was six guys,” said the three Club President Matt Vona, “I expanded it to 16 guys. We now have two teams, an ‘A’ and a ‘B’ team. Everyone has a chance to play on the ‘A’ team based on their scores, their practicing and their ability. A lot of players are just looking to get involved. It’s fun to have the people that aren’t that good at golf and try to expand their abilities. That’s mainly what the ‘B’ team is for. It’s also nice to have a couple extra guys just to hang out, make new friends, and to golf.”

Robert Morris is a member of the National Collegiate Club Golf Association. The club team has qualified for the NCCGA national tournament once. The team was able qualify for the first ever NCCGA in the fall.

“Last year we came in third after the first day,” mentioned Vona, “The second day was canceled due to weather.”

Vona credits the competitive nature of the players for making the tournament. After the team beat West Virginia twice, the club team has their sights set on competing in the NIT. The three year president is excited about this year’s team and the upcoming tournament.

“Our top 12 guys are incredibly competitive,” says Vona. “They fight for those top eight spots every week. That competition is what got us into the NIT.”

If there was a year to win it, he thinks that this is the year to do it. After the tremendous growth that the club team has seen, Club President Matt Vona thinks that this year’s team is the best that they have ever had.

“Out of my four years on a club team,” said Vona “Probably the best team we have.”

The Robert Morris Club Golf team will tee-off April 28th and 29th at the Bogey Hills Country Club in St. Louis, Missouri for the Spring National Invitational Tournament.