M. Golf Double-Bogeys Season Finale

After a disappointing ninth-place finish on Tuesday at the University of Rhode Island, the Harvard men's golf team returned to Cambridge dejected, but hopeful for next year's prospects.

Blustery conditions certainly impacted the Crimson's performance, while the Rams seemed comfortable battling the elements, cruising to a top finish on their home course. Six Rhode Island players broke the top 15, giving the team a final score of 609 and outdistancing second-place Hartford by a comfortable ten-stroke margin.

Harvard (646) finished up its season with a respectable finish, falling just five strokes behind eighth-place Boston College. Ivy foes Dartmouth and Brown battled through the spring showers and temporary greens to place fifth and seventh, respectively.

"We played pretty bad, but the course was in tough shape," junior co-captain Matthew Dost said. "The course has been under water for two days."

Junior co-captain Kaj Vazales provided the lone bright spot for the Crimson in the season finale. Vazales led the tournament after the first round but lost the lead during round two after struggling with the ragged course conditions.

The rough outing in Rhode Island marks the end of a frustrating spring. In the fall, the Crimson took third place at both the ECAC and NEIGA championships. This season the team never found its rhythm, and the fickle Cambridge weather proved to be a constant impediment to practice.

"We had a really good fall this year," Dost said. "The terrible weather this spring kept us from practicing on a consistent basis, so we could just never really improve."

Despite the disappointing end to their spring season, the team remains hopeful about their prospects for next year. Only one senior from the team will graduate, leaving an experienced squad, including five juniors, for next year.

"It was a pretty disappointing way to end the season, " Vazales said. "On the bright side, though, we have everybody returning next year, so hopefully we can turn things around."