Golfers Post Win Over MIT, Northeastern; Co-Captain Lowenstein Heads for Nationals

Under fair skies at The Country Club in Brookline yesterday, the Harvard golf team pulled off a win over MIT and Northeastern in one of the final matches of the 1982 season.

Them Widener Blues

Reading period appeared to have taken an early toll--the quality of play did not match normal Crimson standards. Harvard barely staved off the enterprising Engineers, finishing with 416 to MIT's 418 for five einghteen-hole rounds. Northeastern fell asleep out in the sunshine and trailed home with 437.

Low-score honors for Harvard went to freshman Chet Nastala, who played to a 79 finish on the par 72 course. Starting in the fourth slot, Nastala won the distinction for the first time in his Crimson career.

Co-captain Jon Mosle said Harvard's small victory margin was unusual, considering that the team played on his home course. "Usually it's almost impossible to play on that course for the first time," he said, noting that MIT did well and Harvard played "miserably", resulting in the unexpectedly close score between the two Charles River rivals.

Mountains and Elephants

Senior Larry Stein described his performance as "pretty poor," especially under the duress of playing with two lefthanded opponents. His troubles began on the first hole, he said, and with "The Himalayas" and "The Elephant Trap" still to go, there was not much hope for improvement.

The team seemed to play at the same generally lackluster level, missing putts and landing, surprised, in sandtraps. "It's unusual for everyone to have an off-day all together," Stein noted.

Despite the grievance list--"We all need a drink," junior and number-three player Steve Baker commented at the close of play--the performance goes into the Crimson's win column and should provide incentive going into Monday's match. The match is the last one of the regular season. Harvard will host Amherst and Tufts, and lee-off time is 1 p.m.

In other games earlier in the week, co-captain Carroll Lowenstein paced the Crimson to a seventh-place showing at the New England Division 1 NCAA qualifying tournament, held at the Pleasant Valley Country Club near Worcester. Lowenstein shot 78 and 77 to tie Rhode Island's Pat Horgan for low-score medalist honors, then won the two-hole, sudden death playoff.

The two lowed individual players, as well as the winning team from each division, usually play in the NCAA finals held at Pinehurst, N.C. this year Holy Cross won the Newy England Division I tournament, relegating URI to second place I tournament, relegating URI to second place Lowenstein, who also made All-Ivy by finishing second in the Ivy League Tournament held at Yale April 24 and 25th, said he "should be invited" to play in the finals, which will be confirmed after Monday's NCAA directors' meeting.

Pre-Professional

The first Harvard golfer to make the NCAA finals in the past four years. Lowenstein stands a good chance among the country's top-ranked and largely pre-professional four college players.

Lowenstein "could win the whole thing," Coach Dick Crosby predicted confidently Wednesday, calling him a player who "has as much talent as any young player I've seen in a long seen in a long time."

The NCA's finals are scheduled for May 26 through 29th, and although he also has to take a final exam during that period, Lowenstein could finish up his college golfing career in All-American style.

THE NOTEBOOK: Harvard trounced Yale but lost to Princeton in a Big Three match played April 23rd--a result that was repeated in the Ivies...In other League action. Harvard played Dartmouth in Hanover Tuesday, putting up a brave fight but ultimately falling before the Big Green onslaught.