Both the men's and women's golf teams opened up with solid starts for the beginning of the spring season. The men competed at Yale last weekend, while the women were at Boston College. In the matches, it became apparent that both teams could be looking for excellent finishes at the Ivy League Championships, to be held Saturday, April 17.
It hasn't been easy for either team to practice, due to the fact that they cannot practice outdoors being so far up north. Hanover Country Club isn't actually open until the end of the spring golf season, which hinders game play. Nonetheless, both teams have persisted this season, and are looking to make an impression at their remaining tournaments for the year.
Despite a match that captain Shannon Rogers '04 calls the "coldest in my four years on the team," the women's golf squad opened up in solid fashion for the spring season by finishing seventh out of 12 teams in the Boston College Lady Eagle Invitational last Saturday and Sunday.
The Big Green finished with a 36-hole total of 686, just two shots out of sixth place. Georgetown went on to win the entire tournament with a score of 638, beating Boston College by a mere three strokes.
The tournament included solid scores from co-captain Katherine Birchall '04 who posted a score of 78 in her final round. She finished 25th in the tournament after recovering from a 91 in her first round.
Finishing one stroke behind her was fellow captain Rogers. All of the Dartmouth golfers were within 10 strokes of each other showing a consistent and strong team effort that should fare well in the upcoming tournaments. A few of the teams that will compete in the Ivy Championship taking place next weekend were present, giving the Big Green a good sense of what it will be up against.
The women's team is comprised of a combination of the "very old and the very young" as Birchall put it. Not only has the freshman class showed promise of a bright future for Dartmouth golf, but the strong leadership exhibited by the two captains as well as fellow senior Alison Bergen gives the a strong foundation.
Another aspect characteristic of this team was the level of closeness that they have developed with one another.
Anne Daher '07 said, "Being on the golf team has been wonderful in terms of competing and making friends with my teammates. We have a lot of fun together."
Birchall added, "If anything else, with all the time we spend together, we're like family; and I wouldn't trade that for all the championships in the world."
The commitment and zeal that all of the players have for golf and for each other will certainly drive them to success in the future tournaments and upcoming seasons.
On the men's side, the well-rounded abilities of all the players have been one of the keys to success. Every tournament seems to have a different medalist. This both speaks to the talent of this team and suggests that the men's team is likely to have an exceptionally strong showing at the Brown Invitational this weekend and the Ivy Championships the following weekend.
Last weekend's Yale Spring Open offered a glimpse of the talented team as they finished tenth out of 22 teams. Kenan Yount '06 posted the low number with rounds of 74 and 75 to cap a final score of 149, just nine above par.
Co-captain Stephen Gruber '05 commented on Yount's performance by saying, "Kenan really played solid the whole weekend."
Yount ended up tied for 14th in the contest.
Hisaaki Kobayashi '06 was tied for 26th with a total score of 153 on the weekend. The Big Green finished with a 36-hole total of 616. Drexel University was the top finisher with a total of 590.
Gruber believes that things look quite good for their two upcoming tournaments.
"Based on the team's low scores in Scotland, in miserable weather, I'd say that things look promising," he said. "I've seen most of these guys play for two to three years now, and just about everyone is playing better than I've ever seen them play."
Their training in Scotland could come in handy this weekend at Brown, as showers are predicted for the weekend. This should give them a clear advantage during the tournament.
The freshman class, consisting of Matt Uretsky and Chris Boyle, has been a great addition to the team.
"Matt has been a phenomenal addition to the team, in large part making up for the loss of a really talented '03s last season. He's really helped to give us a better shot at each event." Boyle said.
Both teams have exhibited gritty play in tough weather conditions which will be a vital part of their success in their final tournaments of the year. The men will leave for the Brown Invitational tomorrow and both the men and women will finish their year April 17 at the Ivy League championship.
