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The Dartmouth
July 21, 2025 | Latest Issue
The Dartmouth

Big Green struggle with big greens

Most collegiate golf teams would be content with a sixth place finish out of a field of 23 teams, 12 being Division 1. But not the Dartmouth men's squad. After taking first place honors at last week's ECAC qualifier, the golfers in Green had hoped for a better finish at this weekend's Toski Invitational.

Throughout the Monday/Sunday tournament, course conditions at Hickory Ridge in Amherst, Mass., and the weather were ideal -- leaving the team searching for reasons the Big Green did not play better.

With the strong play of its seven freshmen recruits, Yale, which this season has become the powerhouse of Northeast Golf, captured first place, making Toski the Bulldogs third major New England victory this season.

Though Dartmouth finished sixth, the numbers were respectable with co-Captain Steve Sugarman '97 (74-79), co-Captain Mackenzie Hurd '98 (75-79), Jon Heaton '99 (75-79), Jay Lavender '97 (81-80) and Chris Welty '00 (84-82) rounding out the Big Green's top five.

"We played decently the first day, and then fell off the second day," Hurd said. "We're still having trouble putting two consistent rounds together in tourneys."

Heaton agreed. "We felt good going into the final day. However, we needed to play well, and we only played mediocre. The scores weren't terrible, but there's definitely room for improvement."

Coach Bill Johnson cited the big greens as a cause for the team's higher scores. Dartmouth three-puts led to lack of confidence and timid golf, a style of play that Johnson discourages.

"One three-put can take you out of the 'carefree' zone and put you right into the 'careful' zone," Johnson said. "We tried to make it happen, rather than let it happen, and we paid the price."

"I knew that we couldn't catch Yale, but I thought we could sneak up into third or fourth," Johnson added. "We've got to get our guys to free up -- live in the now."

This weekend, the team will compete at the ECAC Championship, where the greens will be smaller and the fairways tighter.

"The guys are hungrier than I've ever seen them, after winning the ECAC qualifier and finishing in second last week, I think everyone is focused on breaking through at the ECACs and winning a big one," Sugarman said.

The ECAC Championships will be held at Rehobeth Beach, Delaware.