M. Golf’s Weekend Cut Short By Rain Again

Harvard men’s golf captain Andrew Klein was quick in his assessment of his team’s performance this weekend at Yale University’s MacDonald Cup in New Haven.

“I would have to say that we were outstanding—out standing in the rain, that is.”

Apparently the third time was not the charm for the Crimson, which has had tournaments either shortened by rain or postponed for three consecutive weeks. Harvard managed to place 12th out of 18 teams, posting a 45-over-par 605 through 36 holes.

Torrential downpours allowed only nine holes of play on Sunday, curtailing the event at two rounds and putting a damper on the team’s buoyant spirits.

“You’re excited to finish things out,” Klein said. “But we knew that there were going to be scattered showers, and sure enough, I played the first four holes of my round in a ferocious rain before the horn blew.”

The team was able to play the scheduled 27 holes Saturday at Yale, whose course is ranked in the top 100 in the nation by Golf Magazine.

Klein was bothered by a slight lower back strain which he sustained on the seventh hole of the first round, and “half swung” through the rest of the tournament. He shot a 76-79—155, 15 strokes over par.

Klein labored on the par-70 course, despite his familiarity with it. He captured the Yale Spring Open last year and was the runner-up in Yale’s bi-annual invitational.

Junior Chris Wu shot a 7-over 74-73—147 to lead all Harvard players, with freshman Jin Park firing a 10-over 76-74—150. Sophomore D.J. Hynes carded a 14-over 78-76—154, while junior Matt Amis rounded out the group with a 16-over 78-78—156.

Penn State won the tournament with a combined 13-over 573, led by Mark Leon, whose 67-72—139 was the only score under par for the weekend.

“It’s disappointing when it rains,” Wu said. “But you just have to put it in the back of your mind and go out and play. You have to realize that you can’t change the weather, and the person who is able to concentrate the best is usually the one to come out on top in these tournaments.”