Golf team keeps pace with NESCAC rivals

On a windy day at Middlebury's Ralph Myhre Golf course, the Tufts golf team quickly distanced themselves from the competition at this weekend's NESCAC Championships, but tripped up on the second day of the tournament.

Led by upstart freshman Dan Weinbeck, who shot a 72 on Saturday, the team amassed a 303 and a seven-stroke lead over its nearest competition on the first day. But the team stumbled on Sunday, posting a third-place score of 617, behind Middlebury (613) and Williams (614).

Freshman Dan Weinbeck, who overcame difficult conditions, was a major contributor to the team's success on the first day of the NESCAC Championships. The freshman plays the number three spot on a very talented Tufts squad.

"I really wasn't hitting all that long, but my short game went really well," Weinbeck said. "On the second-day I put a lot of pressure on myself; I really wanted to win the tournament. I wasn't concentrating on the right things,"

After shooting 72 on the first day of competition, Weinbeck fell to an 87 on the second day.

"He pressed a little... he got nervous. He really wanted to win," coach Bob Sheldon said.

Led by senior co-captain Elliot Barr's two-day score of 152 and 7th place individual finish, the Jumbos surpassed some expectations over the weekend. During their dramatic first day, the team enjoyed a very well-rounded performance.

"At all of the other meets two or three guys played well," Weinbeck said. "[In the first round this weekend] all five guys played well. Even if we'd taken the fifth player's score, we would have been in first place."

The performance gave Tufts a sizeable lead and serious pressure to maintain its top spot.

"We knew that other teams were going to make a run," said Kramer. "We still only finished four strokes out of the lead. It was a nice message to send... third is respectable, but I still wanted something more."

The success on the first day almost surprised the squad. The Jumbos made a run at the championship, proving they can contend with their NESCAC rivals.

"I think we proved ourselves on day one," Kramer said. "We have not been in that position before, or in 10 years. We showed some inexperience."

Sheldon, the coach, explained that the team is usually 20 strokes off the lead.

"Our 303 was the best round since I've been here," he said. "We were tied with two guys left. Our goal was to be in the top three... we averaged a 77. This third place finish in the NESCAC was a tribute to the seniors."

It wasn't the team's first impressive performance this semester. Last Thursday, the Tufts team finished in second place out of 15 teams at the ECAC Qualifier, and secured an invite to this weekend's ECAC Golf championship in New York.

The squad shot a solid score of 308 at Holden Hills Country Club outside Boston to place second to Western New England. Junior Brad Hawes led the team with a 74 and Senior Arun Lamba shot a 77, his first round of college play under 80.

"I'm really happy [with our performance], especially because of the hard conditions," Weinbeck said. "It gave us a lot of confidence going into the NESCAC Championships. I think we can do really well at the [ECAC] Championships."

"We beat nationally-ranked teams. I wasn't the man but everyone else was," Kramer said. "That's the kind of performance that turns heads."