Men's golf showed no rust heading into its season debut tournament this weekend at the Detrick Invitational, in which they finished fifth out of 11. Despite having never played a round at Indian Hill Golf Club, it did not take long for the team to feel at home at the tournament hosted by Trinity College. Tri-captains junior Taylor Nordan and senior Owen Elliot led the Jumbos with two round scores of 146, tying for third place overall.
“They played beyond fantastic. They played great. They both had a legitimate chance to win the tournament out of 72 golfers,” coach George Pendergast said.
Nordan led the field after he posted an impressive score of 71 on the first day. If not for a slow start, Nordan may have set a new Tufts' 18-hole record. After finding himself six-over after the first eight holes, he went on to birdie an amazing six of the last nine holes. His back nine score of 30 is the lowest nine-hole score in Tufts history. Nordan credited a level head during both the highs and lows of a round for his performance.
“It’s easy to give up after getting off to a bad start … [but] it's important to stay focused and not let previous holes get in the way of the shot at hand,” Nordan said. “I birdied nine and kept grinding. I kind of just caught fire and didn't really think anything of it. I was just in the zone and wasn't thinking at all. ”
Nordan went on to record a 75 on the second day and finished tied for third, with a total score two-over par.
Tufts as a team fared far better in its final 18 holes, which may have been the result of increased familiarity with the golf course.
“I would say [the difference] was that none of them had ever played on this golf course; we never even had a practice round. They played sight on scene the first round, so the second round they had seen the course and could make adjustments in club selection, which they did," Pendergast said.
The Jumbos shaved six shots off of their day one score of 313 to post a final round score of 307 and earn fifth place overall. Elliot improved on his Saturday score of 74 by two strokes on Sunday to record even par and finish tied with Nordan for third overall.Junior tri-captain Aaron Corn improved 10 shots in his second go around, recording a four over 76 on Sunday, and finished 31st. First-years Brandon Karr and Sanjay Mukherjeeplaced 40th and 55th respectively, while sophomore Brian Creonte scored an 88 on day two to place 60th.
The first-years played well in their debut tournament and intra-squad competition for limited bids figures to play a large role in the coming weeks and throughout the season.
“Clearly, we have more depth this year. We have four or five freshman and sophomores who did not try out for the team last year, so to fill up the number three, four and five spots, we get to choose from eight bodies, and we never had that luxury before, and I think this will work to our benefit," Pendergast said. "Presumably, those kids will push each other in practice and make each other better, so one thing that will happen for our team is you're going to have to play well week to week in order to keep your spot and nobody is guaranteed their spot."
The newcomers may very well challenge the more experienced veterans for spots, but the competition does not seem to be causing any friction.
“Team chemistry is high. Everyone is vibing, enjoying one another's company,” Elliot said.
Tufts golf looks to preserve its fine form as it travels to Middlebury this weekend for the Duke Nelson Invitational at Ralph Myhre Golf Course.
More from The Tufts Daily
