The split squad of the men’s golf team finished in seventh and 12th out of 12 teams, respectively, when it hosted the Abarta Coca-Cola Collegiate Invitational this past Sunday and Monday.
There were 81 individuals that competed in the invitational. Sophomore Harry Dessel paved the way for the Leopards, finishing the match tied for fifth place overall and shooting a 72 and 71 in the two rounds of the tournament. Dessel also recorded an overall score of 143, one-under-par, on the par-72, 6,675-yard course.
“I made a few mental mistakes that probably cost me the win at the tournament,” Dessel said. “As a team, we just didn’t have enough good scores to compete for first place … however, I liked the way I was hitting the ball and putting and I think I have a lot of momentum going into the Patriot League Championship.”
The freshmen all finished in the top 50, with Eli Myers finishing tied for 19th with an overall score of 148 and Winston Kelenc-Blank tying for 25th while carding 150. In addition, Hudson Pace placed 44th with a final score of 153.
As for the rest of the Maroon and White, senior captain Carter Ablon shot an overall score of 154, recording a 78 in the first round and a 76 in the second round to conclude the match tied for 48th. Junior Sean Saw tied for 56th with 155 overall, shooting a 77 and 78 in the two rounds, while sophomore Valdemar Kofod-Olsen mustered a 60th-place finish, carding an 82 and 74. Junior Michael Bell finished tied for 69th, shooting a 78 and 82; sophomore Boyoung Chang finished the tournament tied for 74th, carding 82 in the first round and 79 in the second.
“The team just has to keep competing and gaining experience in tournaments,” Dessel said. “I feel that we are making good progress in our practice sessions … one thing that the whole team could improve on is eliminating big scores.”
The Leopards will head to the green on Thursday to compete in the Presidents’ Cup at Hamilton Farm Golf Club, where they will have a chance at redemption against rival Lehigh University.
“It’s been a slow year and we need to really come together at the end of the year here and finish strong,” Bell said. “Winning the Presidents’ Cup would definitely be a huge boost.”
Disclaimer: Assistant Sports Editor Grace Sanborn ’25 is a member of the golf team. She did not contribute writing or reporting.
