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The Tufts Daily
Where you read it first | Thursday, March 28, 2024

Golf | Koh finishes first among 83 golfers at RIC Invitational

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Sophomore Brendan Koh earned medalist honors at the Rhode Island College Spring Invitational this past weekend, playing at the par-72 Valley Country Club with a two-day score of 154. Koh, who shot a 79 on the first day and a 75 on the second, finished 10-over-par to beat out 82 other golfers and claim the title honors.

"[Koh's] putting was a little shaky," assistant coach George Pendergast said. "But his high-end play was just so precise that he made seven or eight birdies."

Koh led a strong Tufts team that placed fifth out of 17 teams. The host, Rhode Island College took first place overall. Its highest individual finish coming from sophomore Jonathan Cooper (81-74), who tied Tufts freshman Owen Elliott (79-76) with a score of 155. RIC senior Tim Leigh rounded up the top four with a two-day score of 156 (78-78).

After the Jumbos' NESCAC hopes eluded them last fall following a sixth-place finish in the Sep. 28-29 competition at Bowdoin – leaving them two spots away from qualifying – Koh's win could be the motivation the team needs for next fall.

"I know it [has] been more than six or eight years [since a Tufts player has won an individual tournament]," senior captain Kenny Alperin said. "It hasn't happened since I've been here."

This win is also individually significant for Koh, who sees it as validation for himself and his coaching staff.

"Let's be real - I should have been benched [this past fall], but [the coaching staff] never benched me," Koh said. "They put me in the starting five, and I'm glad their confidence in me has paid off. My poor performances in the past, if anything, were a reminder and motivation to do better the next time. That [motivation] coupled with the amount of confidence my coaches showed me. I really appreciated [their support]."

After the first round of play, Tufts stood firmly at the sixth spot overall with a score of 334, trailing first-place Endicott College (318), and second-place RIC (320).

Bill Hutchins from Husson was in the individual lead after shooting a 75 on Friday, while Koh's 7-over-par score of 79 was tied with teammate Elliott for fifth individually after the first round.

Despite Koh's strong showing on the first day, the possibility of winning his first individual college tournament never really crossed his mind. When Koh finally realized that winning was possible, however, he started feeling the pressure.

"On the second day after the first six holes, suddenly I look at my scorecard and realize I'm two under par - I'm doing really well," Koh said. "When I realized that, I kind of psyched myself out a little bit."

Koh was able to overcome the pressure of the situation and finish the round with a 75, four strokes better than his previous day's score.

Tufts improved its overall position on day two, sliding up a spot to fifth overall behind Koh and Elliott's strong showings. Tufts' score of 334 (the aggregate scores of its four best players) was three behind fifth-place Johnson & Wales (331) after Friday. On Saturday, the Jumbos improved by 10 strokes, with a score of 324. Their tournament total score was 658, 26 strokes behind RIC's score of 632.

Additionally, the rain and 40-degree temperatures over the weekend helped the Jumbos, who were better prepared for the weather than their competitors.

"I've always told my guys – get ready for this golf tournament like you're going skiing," Pendergast said. "As [Elliott] went from one hole to the other, I took his bottle, which had ice in it, and got him hot water. A lot of these other kids were wearing golf shirts, and a nylon windbreaker. They were frozen."

The team, who took a spring break trip to Scottsdale, Ariz., to prep for the spring season, also benefitted from the additional playing time.

"We took eight kids out to Arizona, and it helped that they played four [or] five solid rounds of golf going into the spring season." Pendergast said. "Many of the other colleges in the area hadn't played at all, so we had a leg up on that one."

The team has traditionally had problems training in the offseason, especially with the winter weather in New England, which is not ideal for sports like golf that require large outdoor courses. Pendergast acknowledged that finding alternative spaces for the players to practice their swings and their techniques is still a work in progress.

"We have a hitting net upstairs in Tisch where the squash courts are [located], and on the day of the tournament we went to the driving range over in Lexington," Pendergast said. "But we're still working on [finding training spaces]. Two or three courses that we usually play at won't be open [until] April 12."

The spring break trip to Arizona also increased the team's comradery. While players' chemistry is important in most team sports, it plays less of a role in golf - where five players play individually, often completely isolated from their teammates. 12