Sept. 9, 2005

The George Mason men's golf team begins their five-tournament fall season this weekend at the Navy Invitational in Annapolis, Md. The 36-hole event is played at the par 71, 6,611 yard US Naval Academy Golf Course.

Coach Linda Gaudi will begin her seventh season at Mason returning eight veterans from last year's squad, including two seniors Mike Cavanagh and Mike Kirby. Cavanagh was named to the 2005 CAA Second Team All-CAA. The Perham, Minnesota native led the team in six tournaments and finished the season with the second best stroke average on the team with 74.84 strokes per round. During the fall, he led the team in scoring, averaging 72.0 strokes. He also placed in the Top 20 in six tournaments, including four in the fall.

Mike Kirby led the Patriots with a career-best 74.7 stroke average, good for eighth place in season stroke average in Mason history. The Virginia Beach, Va. native played in the 105th U.S. Amateur in August and finished the first and second rounds of stroke play shooting a 77-77=154 (+14), but missed the final cut, which came in at +6. He carded four birdies and 17 pars in his two rounds, but 15 bogeys or higher marred his efforts to make the cut. He finished 190th out of 308 players.

Also returning are upperclassmen Dan Hurley, Nick DeSimone and Trey Bressler. Hurley was the only player other than Cavanagh or Kirby to lead the team in a tournament, finishing tied for tenth at the William and Mary Invitational with a 151 in two rounds.

DeSimone had the third best stroke average on the team at 75.9 and was a top 20 finisher in two tournaments, placing seventh at the Sea Trail Intercollegiate (73-71-144) and 16th at the Pirate Fall Intercollegiate (75-73-71) 219. He earned a spot in the U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship this past summer. DeSimone qualified after shooting 70-72-142 and finishing in second place at the Golden Horseshoe Golf Club in Williamsburg, Va last week at a Public Links qualifier.

Junior Trey Bressler also returns for his third season. He played in six tournaments, four in the spring and averaged 78.5 strokes, with a low of 73 in a round at Pirate Fall Invitational.

Sophomores JJ Amoruso, David Murname and Ryan Younger return after their rookie seasons with some collegiate experience. Amoruso participated in four tournaments as a freshman and averaged 75.0 strokes during the fall campaign in three tournaments. David Murname participated in two tournaments and Younger in three overall.