At ECACs, Golfers Struggle on Day 2

Blustery conditions and a long course made for high scores and a disappointing finish for the men’s golf team this weekend at the ECAC Division I Championship at Shelter Harbor Golf Course in Charlestown, R.I.

The Crimson sent five players to the tournament and finished ninth as a team out of the 14 squads competing.

Harvard was led by sophomores Greg Shuman and Danny Mayer, who both posted two-round scores of 154 to tie with others for 28th in a 70-man field.

Shuman shot a 1-over 72 on Saturday before posting an 11-over 82 yesterday, while Mayer improved upon his first-round 78 with a five-over 76 in the second round.

The tournament team title was won by St. Bonaventure, while the individual title went to Iona’s Sean Curtin, who posted back-to-back scores of 72 to finish 2-over, one stroke ahead of Central Connecticut’s Matt McClure.

Harvard’s ninth-place finish pales in comparison to the strong team showing last weekend at the MacDonald Cup, at which the team placed fifth out of a field of 25, and at the season-opening Mid Pines Intercollegiate in September, at which the team placed fourth and set a program record for its 54-hole team score.

The Crimson has faltered at other points this season, however, including a dead last 18th-place finish at The McLaughlin Tournament at Bethpage Red.

This past weekend’s performance is likely to be considered another disappointment.

Scores were significantly higher across the board on the tournament’s second day, as swirling winds at the ocean-side golf course made judging distance and direction a challenge.

“The hard part was that the wind was swirling so it would change direction, even on the same hole,” sophomore Peter Singh said.

Singh shot 80-76 to finish tied for 41st at 14-over and was one of the very few golfers, along with teammate Mayer, to post a lower score in the second round than in the first.

Aside from the wind, weather conditions were ideal, especially for this time of the year. Temperatures reached the 60s on Saturday and the skies were clear and sunny.

Still, team members considered Shelter Harbor to be the most difficult course the team has played at to date, noting its considerable length and fast greens.

“This course was a little tougher than the courses we’ve played in past tournaments,” sophomore Nick Moseley said.

Moseley shot 16-over for the weekend and finished tied for 51st.

The fifth and final golfer representing the Crimson was freshman Louis Amira, who shot a 13-over 155 and finished tied for 36th.

Both Singh and Moseley expressed disappointment with their team’s performance.

“We went in thinking we could do a little better than we did,” Moseley said. “No one played well—that’s all I can say.”

The Crimson will have a chance to rebound next weekend at the Lehigh Invitational in Bethlehem, Pa. It will be their last tournament of the fall season.

—Staff writer Douglas A. Baerlein can be reached at baerlein@fas.harvard.edu.