The Rutgers men’s golf team finished sixth at the Quail Valley Collegiate Invitational in Vero Beach, Florida, closing their fall season on a positive note. The Scarlet Knights posted a team score of 19-under par (1,075) over three rounds.
Graduate student Jeffrey Zatorski led the team with a strong individual performance, finishing tied for eighth after shooting rounds of 68, 71, and 68 for a total of 207, or nine under par. Reflecting on his play, Zatorski said: “I felt great going 9-under par. I didn’t play that well in qualifying, but I knew my game was still there. Draining the 50-footer set the tone for the next two rounds and helped me stay patient, trusting that the birdies would come if I kept hitting good drives and short irons to give myself great chances.”
Sophomore Argyle Downes also contributed with consistent play throughout the tournament. Downes shot rounds of 70, 69, and 73 to finish tied for 24th at four under par.
Zatorski credited his mindset as key to his performance. “Finishing off with one more solid week, I know I have to keep doing what worked for me,” he said. “Something that really stuck with me was a quote I heard — that the best teammates are the ones who get the job done for the team. Having that in my head pushed me to give my all and play with everything I had, not just for myself but for everyone on the team.”
He also spoke about managing mistakes during competition: “I tried not to overthink things,” Zatorski said. “You’re going to hit bad shots regardless, but not worrying about it is key. If you dwell on a mistake, you won’t play well. I just focused on keeping things steady, aiming for solid or even mediocre shots rather than letting anything turn into a big miss.”
Other Rutgers golfers included Bennett Espenshade (tied for 36th), Lucas Politano (tied for 62nd), and Derek Gutierrez (tied for 67th). The team’s overall result marked steady progress during their fall schedule.
With this event complete, Rutgers will prepare for their next competition at Steelwood Collegiate as they aim to build on recent improvements.
