Golfers strike gold hosting annual invitational tourney MacNeil '08 shoots personal best to set pace

Author: Jeff Patterson

Sophomore Tory MacNeil, much like fellow lefty Canadian golfer Mike Weir, turns up her game in important competitions. MacNeill, who spends her winters up-front on the women's hockey team attacking the opponent's net, spent the weekend on top of the leader board, finishing only five shots off of the lead at the NESCAC Women's Golf Tournament. She seems to step it up during NESCAC competition, as her 76 was the lowest tournament round she's ever shot. MacNeil's trademark fist pump was seen all over the Ralph Myhre Golf Course, as she celebrated a number of her great shots.

In preparation for last weekend's tournament, MacNeil and others spent extra time around the practice green, honing their chipping and putting. It clearly paid off, as the Panther pulled away from every team in the field. The closest team to the Panthers, Mount Holyoke, finished 36 shots back.

The men's team finished fourth in the NESCAC championship. A first-day four-man total of 318 put them a long way off the lead at the end of the day, but did not result in a capitulation on the part of the players. Instead, the Panthers rediscovered some touch, shooting 304 on Sunday, but it wasn't enough to move up in the standings.

At the conclusion of the event, Hamilton and Trinity took silver and bronze, two and four strokes ahead of Middlebury.

Sophomore Harry Bane shot scores of 77 and 72, not only for sole possession of second place,, but for the honor of NESCAC Freshman of the Year and being named to the league's first team. Bane joins fellow athletes Allen Iverson (Big East), Vince Young (Big XII), and Nick Swisher (Big Ten) as Freshman of the Year winners in their respective conferences and sports.

Bane's one-over 72 included six birdies. After hooking his first tee-shot well left, he was still able to come away with a four on the par-five first. Bane kept the momentum going and birdied his next hole, too. Of his seven bogeys, all came on holes where he was sitting in the middle of the fairway and staring at the pin. Uncharacteristically, Bane missed a short-putt on 17 before sinking a birdie putt on the final hole. He felt that with the way he was playing "it could have easily been a 67."

For a team as a whole, Williams proved to be too tough again. With home-course advantage and a consistent, veteran team, the Ephs finished the first weekend in October in first place.

However, there are still more tournaments to be played and Bane, like his teammates, hasn't given-up: "With a win this week down in Clinton, we'll definitely make a big statement."

The Panthers will practice and prepare for the upcoming tournament at Hamilton, hoping to beat the team that stole second place from them the last time out. It will be the Panthers' last tournament before the season-ending New England Intercollegiate Golf Association (NEIGA) Championship on Oct. 17-18. The women will be in action this weekend at the Williams Invitational on Oct. 9.