The men’s golf team took on their second fall season opener, the Alex Lagowitz Memorial Tournament hosted by Colgate University, from Sept. 6 to 7 at the par-72 Seven Oaks Golf Club. The team finished in 12th place overall, posting a three-round total of 894 strokes (306, 292, 296) — 30 over par.
Individually, freshman Shep Davis led the Red, tying for 34th place with a 54-hole score of 223 (+7). Notably, he shot an even-par 72 in the second round. Close behind, freshman Adithya Venkataraghavan carded 224 (+8) and recorded a standout 71 (–1) in round two. Sophomore Tyler Betlow also delivered a strong finish with an even-par 72 in the final round, ending at 227 (+11).
In regard to these top scorers, junior Tyler Debusschere, carding a 230 (+14), explained that the team’s freshmen have truly been able to show off their skills for these first two performances, setting a steady start to their first season.
“They’re easing onto the team really well and are making contributions early on, which is nice to see,” Debusschere said.
Looking back on the weekend and its results, the Red’s underwhelming score can’t be judged without consideration of the weather. With windy conditions both days and significant rainfall on Saturday, there was a delay that pulled the golf players off the course for nearly an hour and a half. The course was just too wet to play on, but the match was able to continue when it was dry enough later in the afternoon.
However, this meant that some of the Red’s golfers had to play much later into the night than usual.
“I finished my last hole in the dark, because we played until the end to finish as many holes as possible,” said Debusschere.
To Debusschere, these are simply the conditions that come with playing golf.
“It’s a frustrating game…especially when things are not in your control,” Debusschere said. But he had high hopes for the season going forward, and plenty of pieces of wisdom for the Red to take into their next match.
He hoped they could focus on “staying calm and composed on the golf course. Just controlling what is controllable and not letting those outside things carry over to the next shot. I think that’s something me and the entire team needs to work on,” Debusschere said.
Looking forward, the Red now prepares for their next tournament, the Autumn Invitational hosted by Columbia University, scheduled for Sept. 27 in Lake Placid, New York. Until then, a three-week break will provide ample time for even more training and fine-tuning for the rest of this season.
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