Golf Stakes It In Season Finale

The vitality of youth knows no bounds.

Harvard's underclassmen-laden golf team battled characteristic ocean-front conditions including 25 mph winds, widely varying green conditions and penalizing tree-lined fairways to post a two-day 638, good enough for a top-10 finish at the 47-team field of the New England Inter-collegiate Golf Championships.

Competing on the four widely disparate and unique nines of the New Seabury Golf Club on Cape Cod, sophomores Matt Dost and Kaj Vazales paced the Crimson with totals of 157. The two shot 81-76 and 80-77, respectively.

Captain Douglas MacBean finished one behind, and also posted the team's low 18-hole score, firing a 76-82.

Freshman Andrew Malcolm's 83-83 provided the final score for Harvard's team performance.

It is the team's best showing to date, and signals well for the spring season and beyond for a team that starts just a single upperclassman.

"We've been scoring better accross the board," MacBean said. "But this is certainly a nice way to finish the fall season."

The layout featured a nine fully exposed to the coast and its accompanying winds that placed a premium on shot-making.

"[Yesterday] we got off early before the wind, but after a few holes it got very tough out there," MacBean said.

Another nine cut inland carving through trees that forced exacting placement and patience.

Additionally, the inconsistent conditioning of the greens amounted to endless headaches with the short game.

"There was a lot of luck out there [on some of the greens]," MacBean said. "But that affects everyone."