M. Golf Falls to Fifth at Ivy Championship

Although the Harvard men’s golf team placed a disappointing fifth at the Ivy Championship this spring, individual accomplishments demonstrated improvement among the youngsters who will impact the squad next year.

In particular, junior Andrew Klein, who will captain the Crimson next year, accumulated a number of accolades, including First Team All-New England honors.

Klein also took first place in both the Yale Spring Invitational and the Bentley College Invitational. His top finish at Yale marked the first time a Harvard golfer has won a tournament since Alex Gonzalez ’98.

Klein’s success at the fickle Course at Yale has precedent, as he barely missed first place in the fall invitational.

“I think at the end of the day, the person who manages the disaster best walks away champion,” Klein said after winning this spring.

The Crimson began its season at the Bulldogs’ home course, taking ninth place out of a competitive 18-team field. Sophomore Chris Wu handled the course particularly well, a feat that he would repeat in the spring along with freshman D.J. Hynes.

Amid the blustery wind conditions Harvard usually battles in the fall, junior Steve Mungovan shined in the ECAC Championships, shooting a 3-under 69, the best round of the weekend and of Mungovan’s career.

Spring arrived with rain and cold that left golfers longing for the California weather that blessed the team’s spring break trip. However, the Crimson fought through the frost and kicked off the spring season with an impressive fifth-place showing at the Yale Invitational on April 5-6.

Green conditions did not improve the following weekend, when Harvard faced puddles of standing water at the New England Championship. Senior Neal Hegge stood out in the soggy situation, shooting 77-73-150 to tie for 11th. But in spite of overall solid golf, the Crimson placed only 10th in the 19-team field, indicating the need for tweaking prior to the Ivy Championship at the Metedeconk Country Club just two weeks later.

But before Harvard would challenge for its first Ivy championship in 28 years, Klein would steal the spotlight once again, winning the Bentley College Lou Flumere Invitational in a sudden-death playoff in frigid temperatures.

With its golfers appearing to peak just in time for the biggest tournament of the year, the Crimson appeared to be in good shape to at least improve on last year’s fourth-place finish.

However, the sunshine and warmth of Ivies seemed to not suit Harvard, as the Crimson placed a disappointing fifth in the grinding 54-hole contest.

“I’m very disappointed with our finish at the Ivies,” Hegge said after the contest. “Personally, I had a lot of confidence coming in and just folded. I hit some really good shots and some really bad shots. Unfortunately the really bad shots outweighed the others.”

Hegge will return next fall to finish his senior year, along with most of Harvard’s competition entrants. The Crimson loses senior Michael Park and co-captains Taylor Harmeling and Joe Jackson to graduation, but the core of the squad will arrive at the Course at Yale once again next fall as weathered veterans.

“This year was a year of growing for our team,” Klein said after Ivies. “We’ve gone through a lot together. But looking to next year, we’re going to have a very mature squad going into tournaments and a bunch of guys with great potential.”

—Staff writer Jessica T. Lee can be reached at lee45@fas.harvard.edu.

M. GOLF

RECORD Fifth in Ivies

COACH Bob Leonard

CAPTAINS Taylor Harmeling, Joe Jackson

HIGHLIGHTS Junior Andrew Klein wins the spring Yale Invitational and the Bentley College Lou Flumere Invitational. Harvard placed only fifth at the Ivy Championship, but most of its top scorers will return next year.