Ephs head to Middlebury for NESCAC Qualifier; top four advance to NESCAC Championship

The first stage of what the Ephs hope will be a two-stage process in qualifying for the 2009 NCAA Tournament starts with the NESCAC Qualifier at Middlebury this Saturday and Sunday.

The Ephs will be gunning to get a leg up on their 11th conference championship by becoming one of the four teams to advance to the NESCAC Championship Tournament in the spring by posting a strong showing on Middlebury's Ralph Myhre Golf Course. All ten NESCAC teams are slated to compete.

The first group will tee off on Saturday, Sept. 27, at 11:00 a.m., and the qualifier will conclude on Sunday, Sept. 28 beginning a 10:00 a.m. start. The top four teams from the weekend will advance to the championship round in the spring, with the top finisher this weekend earning the right to host the final rounds in the spring.

After finishing third at the 2007 qualifier, a young Williams squad put together a strong showing during the championship at the Shuttle Meadow Country Club in Kensington, Conn. to claim the 2008 NESCAC title. The Ephs’ two-day score of 590 was 13 strokes better than both Hamilton and Middlebury, as senior Matt Felser (Buffalo, N.Y.) and sophomores Jack Killea (Ridgefield, Conn.) and Drew Murray (Sleepy Hollow, N.Y.) all carding within the top four finishers to lead their team to victory. Although Williams boasts a deep and diverse mix of returning linksmen, head coach Rick Pohle is faced with a quandary in choosing a fivesome for the weekend that will guarantee the Ephs a top four finish and a shot at the significant advantage of hosting the spring championship.

"We are searching to develop the combination to represent the school at the tournament; just like a number of other teams from the conference," noted eph head coach Rick Pohle. "Our conference is evolving as group to be reckoned with in all events across the northeast. There is great balance and we are looking at this as a motivator to our players. Years ago, all you had to do was show up[, play two days and you were pretty much assured a high finish. In fact, in the past 25 years Williams has only finished out the top 4 once - that being a 5th place finish."

During the 25th annual Duke Nelson Invitational at Ralph Myhre on Sept. 13-14 at Middlebury, Williams finished 10th out of 22 teams but was behind four other NESCAC programs. This past weekend at the Williams Invitational, a split Ephs squad placed sixth and ninth out of 20 teams with Felser posting the top finish among his teammates with a 146 (+4), good enough for a two-way tie for second.

Looking to put the advantage of playing at Ralph Myhre to good use this weekend will be host Middlebury. The Panthers came up short in their quest for a second-straight NESCAC crown and third overall (1999) last season, placing second at the 2007 qualifier and finishing in third with a tiebreaker loss to Hamilton in the championship rounds. Middlebury heads into the weekend with the momentum of an impressive second-place performance at the Williams Invitational, as the Panthers lost in a playoff round to Skidmore for the title. Senior Harrison Bane (Marblehead, Mass.), a three-time NESCAC All-Conference First Team member and the 2005 Rookie of the Year, earned medalist honors at the Williams Invitational with a two-day total of 144 (+2). Bane has managed to earn a top four finish at each of the last three fall NESCAC events with a second-place showing in 2005 and again in 2006.

Trinity and Hamilton, both qualifiers for the 2008 NESCAC Championships are expected to join Bowdoin, Middlebury and Williams to fight it out for the top four in the tourney.

"All we can do is play smart golf and to the best of our given ability," stated Pohle. "If four other teams still beat us then so be it. As a program, we have not slipped one bit - everyone else in the conference has accepted the challenge to elevate their golf program to the level we helped establish. Just take a look at the scores everyone is shooting these days - this is parity at the highest level. It should be exciting - I know the focus at last year's NESCAC final was special for all the players and I hope we can to be a part of it, again."

2008 NESCAC GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP QUALIFIER
at Ralph Myhre Golf Course - Hosted by Middlebury
Day One - Saturday, Sept. 27
Wave 1 - Bowdoin, Colby, Williams - 11:00 a.m.
Wave 2 - Trinity, Tufts, Wesleyan - 11:40 a.m.
Wave 3 - Amherst, Bates, Hamilton, Middlebury - 12:20 p.m.

Day Two - Sunday, Sept. 28
Wave 1 - Three teams with Highest Cumulative Score from Day One - 10:00 a.m.
Wave 2 - Next three teams with Highest Cumulative Score from Day One - 10:40 a.m.
Wave 3 - Remaining four teams with Lowest Cumulative Score from Day One - 11:20 a.m.