Golf Pulls Third Out of Bag in Spring Opener

Author: Jeff Martin

The Panther golf team finally knocked the dust off their bags this past weekend to commence their grueling spring schedule. The team shot an inspiring 311 to finish third at the Williams Spring Challenge, held at the Taconic Golf Course.

On Sunday, the best golfers from Middlebury competed against 14 other golf programs at the Williams Spring Challenge, and finished behind only Amherst (305) and Williams (308). The Panthers' round of 311 included the lowest scores from four of their five competitors. Leading the entire field was Damon Gacicia '02 who shot a sweltering 71. Multi-talented Dave Greiner '03 eagled his final hole to place him in a tie for fourth place with a round of 75. Middlebury's other three competitors Ryan Simper '03, Brad Tufts '03 and first-year Adam Sureau also contributed to the team's scorecard. Simper finished third for the Panthers shooting an 80 on Sunday, and had this to say about his round. "It was cold and breezy at Williams, and my round was unspectacular so it doesn't warrant any special recognition."

Gacicia and Greiner both did receive special recognition making the "All-Tournament" team, and the players received a fine orange hat for their efforts. Panther golf member Ryan Birtwell '04 commented, "Someday I would like to wear an orange hat." Furthermore, Greiner remarked that "my mental preparation more than my on-course practice really carried me through the round. Battling the cold weather, fast greens and playing with and against Williams all contributed to the high scores. I am sticking to a strict practice regiment at this time period to allow my game to stay in top form."

Gacicia, the veteran and tournament medallist, noted that, "I have been working to rehabilitate my shoulder over the past few months, and I believe that my performance this past Sunday speaks for itself."

Panther head coach Bill Beaney remarked on the teams play over the past weekend, "Overall, we had good results for the first tourney of the year. Everyone has been working hard and it seems that the practice is paying off. I hope that we will be able to continue to build upon this performance next weekend."

The squad will regroup itself for action, after the disappointment of a snowed-out Skidmore Tournament on Monday, before heading back to Williams this coming weekend for the District Shootout. On returning to Williams, Grenier said "I am very excited about the opportunity to spend the weekend down in Williamstown to show the purple eye sores that we can and will take them on their own course."