The golf team opened up its spring season last weekend, finishing in 12th place out of 14 teams in the Babson College Spring Opener at the Atlantic Country Club in Plymouth. But the Jumbos, who ended the tournament with a two-day total of 670, just one stroke over last year's overall score of 669 -- were facing more changes to start the spring than just the weather.
"[Since last year,] we lost two of our top five players, one of them being the other co-captain, Phil Haslett, who graduated early and is travelling the world," senior co-captain Benjie Moll said. "When you lose your best player, it's hard to continue that type of performance."
The Jumbos ended the first day in 10th place after their top four scorers shot a combined 336, a per-player average of 84, with par set at 72 for the course. Tufts slipped down a spot in the standings following its 334-shot effort in the second round, however, ending the tournament at 670 -- 49 shots behind first place finisher Salem State, which finished with a +45 621. Yet despite the low finish, the team hopes to build on the experience and regain its stroke.
"It was the first time that most of us had played -- we didn't even have really time to practice because of the weather," Benjie Moll said. "Not everyone on the team played to the best of our ability. It was an auspicious start. We had some bright spots, and we'll take what we have from here and try to improve on it."
"It's the first tournament of the spring season, and we're all still rusty, and the conditions weren't great," sophomore Luke Heffernan added. "I guess our goal was to have fun and just go out there and compete and do the best we can ... Everyone's mental approach to the game and tournament play in general, being mentally prepared and mentally focused [is an area to work on]. We play long rounds. They're five hours -- sometimes five and a half hours of golf -- so it's a mental grind as well, especially for those who aren't used to competing as much. Scores, they reflect that."
The Jumbos took five players to the tournament with the top four performers being scored. Heffernan shot an 81 on Saturday and followed that with a 77 on Sunday to lead Tufts with a 158, good for 11th place overall and 14 shots over par. Sophomore Dan Moll finished close behind, shooting an 81 on the first day and then a 79 on the second for a two-day total of 160 (+16), tying him for 15th place overall.
To round out the Jumbos' top four scoring golfers, Benjie Moll shot an 87 both days, and junior Alex Mitropoulos shot an 87 and then a 91 for a total of 178. The finish wasn't as high as Tufts was hoping for, but the team has reason to remain optimistic about the outing.
"Obviously, you're disappointed when you don't finish in the top of the field," Benjie Moll said. "[But we gained] a little bit more experience, a little more practice to get ready for next week's tournament and a little more confidence. We have the talent. We just need to execute."
Amherst, the only other NESCAC team in the tournament, finished just two strokes ahead of the Jumbos in 11th place. The Lord Jeffs were led by sophomore Trip Wray, who finished in 15th place with a 160 (+16), 81 in the first round and 79 in the second. The individual winner was Worcester State senior Nick Lombardi, who shot a 74 in the first round and a 71 in the second. The effort was good for 145 overall and only one shot over par.
Up next for the Jumbos is the Hampton Inn Invitational in North Dartmouth on Friday and Saturday. Tufts hopes to build on the season opener and execute better at a course on which the team feels comfortable and confident. The short game in particular is an area in which the Jumbos feel like they can improve.
"The short game -- chipping, putting, pitching, everything inside 100 yards -- is a big thing that we need to work on as a whole," Heffernan said. "In tournament play, when you're counting all of your strokes, when everything is nitty-gritty down to the wire, those are the strokes that make or break you."
"We have the Hampton Inn Invitational next week, and we've had success at this course in past years, so we think that next weekend we should be able to do pretty well," Benjie Moll added. "The expectation every week when we go out is to be in the top few teams in the field, and hopefully we'll be able to do that in the next few weeks."
