Golfers Hold Third Place at NCAAs; URI Leads Tourney After One Round

Eight is great. Look at all the local sports legends who bear it upon their backs--Brian Buckley, Greg Olson, to name just two. And how about August, the eighth and most sublime month of the year?

Eight is also great when it's all that separates you from the leaders at the NCAA Eastern championships. That's the way the Harvard golf team saw the situation after the first 18 holes of play ended yesterday. It was great because it still had a lot of promise.

The Crimson, led by co-captain Glenn Alexander's 77, totaled 321 to finish third after the first day of the tournament, held at the Potowamut Country Club in West Warwick, R.I. Perennial rival URI charged out early to compile 313 for a tenuous first-place standing, while day-glo Dartmouth pulled up close behind with 316.

Harvard, however, is optimistic that today's final round will set things straight. Yesterday the team had to battle cold and windy weather while playing out an unfamiliar course, described as "brutal" by Alexander. Tomorrow will feature clear skies, balmy breezes, and the Crimson Shepherd Plan. This last part of the three-pronged victory formula calls for every Harvard player to beat his URI opponent by two strokes, which should effectively shear the Rams of any Palo Alto playoff delusions they may have entertained.

"We've got all the tools to win it," coach Dick Crosby said yesterday, forecasting that co-captain Chip Raffi, who shot an unimpressive 84, "should be at least six shots better" in today's round.

Alexander overcame an unusual playing hazard en route to posting the team's low score for the day. A bottle of suntan lotion, attributed to the Chip Raffi collection, exploded inside his golf bag, creating a slippery situation all over his clubs and permeating the West Warwick atmosphere with an unlikely coconut fragrance.

The winning team goes on from West Warwick to compete in the NCAA championship finals, scheduled to be held in Palo Alto, California, May 27 through 30.

THE NOTEBOOK: Harvard played a notable three-way match Wednesday against MIT and Lowell Tech, winning all the way...The match notably featured John Scheft, making his golfing debut after recovering from a head wound suffered while playing intramural softball...Alexander reported that roommate Scheft played exceptionally well on the second, third, and fourth holes, eventually posting an exceptional score over the other 14.. Scheft was unavailable for comment pending the tidal wave of Nat Sci 124 term papers scheduled for today.