The Tufts golf team has experienced considerable success so far in 2004, and last weekend it was hoping to carry that momentum into the NESCAC championships at Ralph Myhre Golf Course in Middlebury, Vt.
Things didn't go as well as the Jumbos had hoped, and they finished fifth out of ten teams. The Jumbos combined to shoot 648, finishing 18 strokes behind Williams, who won the tournament for the fourth time in five years.
The finish was an improvement for the Tufts, up from eighth place last year in a rain-shortened event that was held at Williams College.
A number of players put up very solid scores for the Jumbos this year, but with their talent they had hoped to take home the big prize.
Tufts sophomore Matt Linde led the way for the Jumbos. Linde shot 77-80, good enough for sixth overall.
Unfortunately for Linde, a rough 16th hole on Sunday killed his chances to take the individual title. He skulled a sand wedge over the green and made a triple bogey.
"Overall, I was happy with way I played," Linde said. "I was frustrated by the triple bogey on 16, but I thought I was fairly consistent throughout."
Linde has been the top Jumbo finisher in each of the team's three tournaments so far this fall. He was a key member of the team in 2003, but Linde has raised his game to a higher level this year. He credits his increased success to a more routine practice schedule.
"I feel a lot more comfortable this season," Linde said. "Last year I didn't know what to expect in terms of the practices and routines, but it's a lot easier this year."
A hot putting stroke has also been a key to Linde's success.
"Right now I just trust myself on the greens," Linde said. "On five, six, seven foot putts, I just feel like I'm going to make them, and it's a great feeling."
Sophomore Josh Bloomberg shot the second best Jumbo score (77-89). Bloomberg's two day total of 166 placed him at 24th overall. Fellow sophomore Justin Meier shot 84-83 to finish 29th overall. Junior Seb Gonzalez finished one spot behind Meier, shooting 86-82 for a 168.
Freshman David Hunt shot the highest score for the Jumbos on Saturday with a 92, but he quickly rebounded on Sunday to shoot a 79, which was the team's top Sunday score. That combined for a 171 and 38th overall.
"Saturday I just didn't play well at all," Hunt said. "It wasn't any one thing going wrong; it was... a combination of everything. I started driving the ball better on Sunday and had two birdies to finish out, so that was a good feeling."
The Jumbos did not participate in the Williams Invitational the previous weekend due to the fact that Williams allowed only 24 teams to participate. Tufts was an alternate but all the previously scheduled teams showed up.
"It was a little disappointing for us," Linde said. "We would've liked to have beaten Williams that past weekend for a little revenge."
The Jumbos have another big tournament this upcoming weekend, when they compete in the ECAC championships, which features top teams from as far south as Pennsylvania. Linde is confident the team can do well and he is expecting a lot.
"We've played okay so far," Linde said. "But we still haven't had four players all go out on the top of their games. We would like to have a breakout weekend at the ECACs."
Despite the addition of some new faces for the Jumbos this season, Linde thinks that the team is gelling well.
"We have a real solid core of five to six guys that can all play at a very high level; it's a nice dynamic for the team," he said.
The Jumbos hope that everything falls into place in Rochester, N.Y. next weekend, and will have another chance at a trophy as they aim to bring home the ECAC crown.
