The golf team finished its last tournament of the fall season at the Lehigh University Invitational this past Saturday. The team finished 11th out of 13, with sophomore Harry Dessel tying for third place individually. Other top scorers for the team were junior Sean Saw and senior captain Carter Ablon.
This tournament capped off what had been an underwhelming fall season for the Leopards. Ablon noted that this competition was supposed to end the season on a high note.
“The season had been pretty rough,” Ablon said, “We just wanted to have one solid result to finish up.”
The tournament may not have gone as expected for the team, but Dessel’s performance individually stood out. He shot 68 in his first round and 76 in his second, combining for a score of 144 on the par-72 course. This score of even par led to his third-place finish.
The team graduated many players last year, leaving it with many newcomers. Dessel stated that what he expected from this year was to see how the younger players would develop.
“This fall was nice seeing what the younger guys are like,” Dessel said. “It gives them a chance to play.”
Dessel also said the fall season gave everyone some “good experience” and a chance for “more competition.”
With the fall season concluding and the spring season and Patriot League Championships not happening for months, the schedule allows a big break for the team. This break is a needed one, according to Ablon.
“[Golf] is a mental game, so it breaks you down over time,” Ablon said. “I think most people need a good reset to make sure we come back into the spring relaxed, refreshed and ready to go at it.”
One key goal that both Dessel and Ablon noted was that the team needs to get stronger and will be lifting a lot more weights in the offseason. They hope to finish better than they did this fall.
“We’ve fallen back a little over the past year,” Ablon said. “I want to get back to where we used to be in the top half of the Patriot League.”
Dessel shared this goal, believing that Lafayette could even win the Patriot League Championship.
“I think we are capable of doing it,” Dessel said. “We just need to put together three good rounds. I’ve seen the kids on the team have good rounds. We just need to put it together.”
Disclaimer: Assistant Sports Editor Grace Sanborn ’25 is a member of the golf team. She did not contribute writing or reporting.
