The start of the 2017-18 Army-Navy Star Series, presented by USAA, is finally here. The series kicks off this weekend with a golf match in Annapolis, Md.
THE STAR SERIES
This weekend's golf match marks the first among 24 Army-Navy Star competitions played over the course of the academic year that determine the winner of the Army-Navy Star Series presented by USAA. The annual showdown between the two rivals in each sport is deemed the Star Game with the athletes from the winning team receiving a Star for their letter sweaters. For those sports who face Army multiple times in a season, the Star Game is designated prior to the start of the year.
Navy leads the all-time Star Series against Army, 1046-791-411 (.568), including a 400-252-8 (.612) mark over the last 21 years.
THE MATCH
The Black Knights have won four of the last five meetings between the two academies, but last year the Midshipmen broke that streak, earning a 6-5 victory at the West Point Golf Course. The Navy men's golf team will look to win back-to-back Star Matches for the first time since 2010 and '11 when it plays host to the Black Knights Saturday and Sunday in the 80th edition of the Army-Navy Star Match.
The two-day, 36-hole event will be scored as match play, or the more familiar Ryder Cup-style format, with four 4-ball matches played on Saturday (8:15 am) and seven singles matches played on Sunday (8:15 am). The first team to reach six points will be declared the winner.
ARMY
The Black Knights are coming off a fourth-place finish at the Hartford Hawks Invitational last week. Rookie James McKee led the way for Army with a career-best six-under par, after notching a low score of 68 in the second round of play. That performance earned him third place.
Army tallied 289-288-291 – 868 (+4) to finish behind Central Florida, Seton Hall and Connecticut. Nick Turner was Army's next best finisher shooting 72-70-71 – 213 (-3) to tie for 13th place. Tied for 32nd was Dean Sakata, who scratched a 73 in all three rounds to finish three-over par.
NAVY
The Midshipmen placed 15th in a 15-team field at the Fighting Illini Invitational last weekend. Junior Griffin Peters carded a 1-under par 69 in the final round to secure a top-30 finish. Navy closed out the 54-hole event by logging its low score (295, +15) on the final day. For the tournament they went 302-309-295 – 906 (+66)
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