The Leopards were back in action this past weekend as the men’s golf team took part in the Gimmler Invitational at the Bethpage Golf State Park Red Course, where they finished tied for eighth. This competition came after the Maroon and White finished third out of 14th in the Alex Lagowitz Memorial.
Sophomore Michael Walsh believes he did a good job of “managing his misses” this past weekend as well as improving his mentality and focus on each shot.
“I was a little off with the driver all weekend, so it became pretty crucial to make sure I was missing it in the correct places off the tee,” he said. “My wedges were solid throughout the weekend, which gave me ample amounts of scoring opportunities.”
Walsh led the Leopards with a score of -5, tied for 14th. Fellow sophomore Michael Bell followed eight spots behind Walsh to tie for 22nd with a score of -2. Sophomores Raymond Dennehy and Sean Saw finished tied for 31st, while senior Martin Vanhaelst finished tied for 52nd with a score of +5.
“I think our depth is huge this year. We feel like essentially our whole lineup can go out and post a red number on any given day, which goes a long way in college golf and gives us a distinct advantage over a lot of our competition,” Walsh said.
Three out of the five Leopards finished even or over during the three-day round. The team, which graduated three members last year, welcomed two newcomers to the team. Their top four finishers were two sophomores and two freshmen, showcasing the Leopards’ youth but also their promise.
“Our biggest challenge will likely be just balancing our practice and competitive schedule with everything else we have going on at school. It can be really hard,” Walsh said. “I’ve learned to show up to a tournament and make sure that is the only thing occupying my mind, because we have such a rigorous schedule combined with academics and other activities we are involved in on campus.”
Harvard won the weekend’s Invitational with a total score of 807 through three rounds, with St. John’s finishing second with a total score of 208.
On Sunday, the Leopards head to Whitemarsh, Pa. where they will play rounds hosted by Cornell University at the 1912 Golf Club. Looking ahead, Walsh is excited for the Presidents’ Cup matchup against Lehigh in the middle of October.
“It is really fun to compete in that, just realizing the history of the rivalry and all that has gone into it throughout the years,” Walsh said. “In the long term, I think we all are always looking forward to Patriot League Championships in the spring because ultimately our whole season is just a buildup to that one weekend. We are just trying to make sure we are as prepared as possible for those three days.”
