NCAA Competition Gives Golfers Rare Chance For National Crown

The Harvard golf team will get its first shot at national competition in 30 years. Last week, the athletic department gave final approval for the team to play in the NCAA Championships June 19-22 at Albuquerque, New Mexico. Harvard earned an invitation to the tournament by fighting back in a driving rain storm several weeks ago to win its first Eastern Intercollegiate Crown in 40 years.

Princeton, third place finisher in the Easterns, is the only other Ivy team to be invited. Rhode Island, winner of the New England championships, and Penn State, last year's Eastern champion, complete the Eastern contingent.

The NCAA bid closes out the most successful year in Harvard golf history. Harvard rides a 12-3 record into the NCAA tournament; it has beaten Princeton twice--once in the Easterns and again in the last match of the season.

A Little Luck

"Looking at it realistically," captain Bo Keefe said yesterday. "We could be one of the top ten--with a little luck of course."

Eastern teams, however, have never been National golf powers. Since its inception, the NCAA tournament has been dominated by Southern and Western teams that practice year-round.

Florida and last year's champion. Houston, are co-favorites for this year's title. But Stanford, Florida State. Texas, UCLA, and Southern California are top challengers. Harvard is generally not mentioned as a threat.

Harvard will be going with the same seven man squad that has carried it through the year Keefe and next year's captain. Bruce Lopucki, will lead the team. Yank Heisler, third in the Eastern individuals, Tommy Wynne, Jack Purdy, Paul Oldfield, and Joe Tibbetts will provide the depth that has, so far, been the key to Harvard's success.

Top Four

The NCAA team title is decided by adding the top four individual scores during the 36-hole first two days. The top fifty individual finishers then play another 36 holes to pick the Intercollegiate individual champion.