Ephs place 6th and 9th at Williams Invitational

WILLIAMSTOWN, MA – It seemed that the depth of the Williams Men’s Golf team actually hurt them today, as their even distribution of scoring led to a 6th place finish for the “B” team and a 9th place finish for the “A” team after the final round of the Williamstown Invitational. Several Ephs shot well, but unfortunately the right players were not matched up with each other. The result was a posting of 608 and 611 for Williams B and Williams A teams, respectively.

"We probably have the most depth in the history of our program,” acknowledged head coach Rick Pohle, “and that poses another problem – picking the right players to represent the school on any given event."

It was Middlebury that shot the best round of the day (and tournament) with a 290, and it was good enough to force a playoff against the formidable Skidmore team as both ended with a 596. However, Skidmore managed to take the event in a close tie-breaker round. St. Lawrence (598), Trinity (605), and Hamilton (606) rounded out the top five, with Salem State tying Williams B with a 608. The “A” squad, who were even with Amherst after round one yesterday, finished with a score of 611, thirteen strokes better than their rival school’s 13th place effort.

“We shot scores that were quite competitive, but a lot of teams have improved their programs and now we have to respond by looking to get to another level,” said Pohle. “I think we have the tools to do so and I think the players want that next level.”

Some of those “competitive” scores included senior Matt Felser’s 146, giving him the second-best weekend of the tournament, just shy of Harrison Bane’s (Middlebury) 144. Seniors Rahul Bahl (151) and Tyler Zara (153) and juniors Jack Killea (152) and Jacob Wagner (153), represented the “A” team. Freshman Chris Valle also earned a 153 for the “B” squad.

Coach Pohle summed up the team’s performance with a clever observation, stating, “We need to improve our course management skills and learn how to become more positive on the golf course.  If I had to draw a parallel, I'd say too many of our players compete like a dog chasing a skunk - things might be fine when taking a lot of chances, but every now and then you get sprayed and the consequences are disastrous.”

The Ephs set their sights on the NESCAC tournament next weekend in Middlebury. At stake are the four spots in the NESCAC Championship next spring, and although Pohle admits there are several teams in contention for a top four finish, he is confident in Williams’ chances. Play will begin on Saturday at a time still to be announced.

For results by team, click here.

For results by individual, click here.