Golf Teams Seeing Green(s)

With the nation's eyes fixed on Tiger Woods' performance at the Masters, the Harvard men's and women's golf teams will open their spring schedules this weekend.

Both teams look to build upon their performances during the fall, which culminated in a third-place finish at the NEIGA Championships for the men and a 17th-place showing for the women at the ECAC Championships.

Move Over Tiger

The Crimson men, under the tutelage of Coach Bob Leonard, bounced back from a shaky start in the fall, improving their team and individual play throughout the season. The team, led by junior co-captains Matt Dost and Kaj Vazales, had a rough outing at the opening Yale Invitational, finishing 26th in the 36-team pool. Just two weeks later, the men rebounded with a strong showing at the Toski Invitational, taking sixth place and gaining some much-needed confidence going into the annual ECAC Championships.

With an impressive third-place finish at the ECAC match, the men handily defeated the Ivy League competition but fell just short of winner Skidmore College and runner-up Colgate.

The men hope to maintain this renewed confidence as they open their spring schedule. The roster features the veteran experience of five returning juniors and one senior, complemented by the talented play of two underclassmen. Freshman Joseph Jackson has high expectations for the team going into its spring matches.

"This season is really exciting because we have a solid group of up to 10 golfers who could contribute, and at least five who will be consistently shooting competitive rounds," Jackson wrote in an e-mail message. "Although the spring season is really short, the most important tournament of the year, the Ivy League championship, is

on the schedule, and we are looking for a top finish there."

Men's competitive action begins this weekend with another tournament at Yale. The Crimson hopes to open the season with a solid victory and carry that momentum over the shortened spring schedule.

"This weekend's tournament at Yale would be a great place to tell the other Ivy teams that we're playing well and ready to take the trophy back to Cambridge," Jackson wrote.

Looking Up

The Crimson women are searching for consistent improvement during the spring season to follow-up a fall season speckled with promising performances and discouraging setbacks. Coach Warren Smith faces the challenge of rebuilding the women's team with only four members returning from the fall season.

Last fall, the women never found their rhythm against a competitive field, but still managed to finish sixth overall at the Mt. Holyoke Tournament in October. Ivy League foes, especially Princeton and Yale, frustrated the team throughout the season, so the Crimson focused much of its off-season effort toward improving its ability to compete against such strong opponents. Though the team's 17th-place finish at the ECAC Championships capped the fall season, captain Jennifer Laine remains realistically optimistic about the team's goals for the spring tournaments.

"Princeton and Yale are really strong teams," Laine said. "We are a stronger team this spring than we were last spring, so we are looking forward to a successful season."

Perhaps the squad's greatest asset this season is, surprisingly, its lack of a superstar. Without a crutch to lean upon during slumps, the team has become a much more cohesive unit. Laine and junior Marcie Chan bring the only source of veteran leadership to the team, so the younger players will have to learn quickly if the team is going to succeed this season.

"This spring we are going to improve upon the success of the fall by stepping up our intensity and competitiveness," sophomore Maureen Shannon, who is also a Crimson editor, wrote in an e-mail message. "Our greatest strength is our team depth--we do not rely on a single player like other teams."

Coming off a week of spring training in the Carolinas, the Crimson women hope to demonstrate their improvement this weekend at the beautiful Oyster Harbors Gold Course for the Boston College Invitational tomorrow and Sunday. Though the women will look for a strong finish this weekend, the tournament is merely a chance to prepare for the Ivy League Championships at Pine Barrens in New Jersey in less than two weeks. Though Princeton and Yale remain formidable opponents, Laine and company hope for some momentum to propel them to a strong finish against their Ivy rivals.

The Massachusetts State Championships on April 28th provide the best opportunity of the spring season for the women to showcase their skill and bring home a trophy. The New England Women's Championships follows on April 29th and 30th, which leaves the possibility for an exciting sweep over the weekend.

This season also marks the possibility of an experimental new tournament for the women, the Beanpot Championships. Though no date is officially scheduled yet, the women look to capture the enthusiasm of the Beanpot hockey tournament and grab some recognition for Harvard's golf program in the process. With a win this year in the Beanpot, the possibility of future championship defenses will certainly add a new and exciting element to women's golf at Harvard.

"We hope to win the Mass State and also the Beanpot championship (if we have it)," Laine later wrote in an e-mail message.

If improvements are made for both the men and women, look for an exciting spring season. The women may surprise their competitors, and the men are looking to put the finishing touches on an already impressive season.

Maybe they will make Tiger proud.