Men’s Golf Wins Qualifier

The men’s golf team travelled south to Middlefield, CT to compete in the NESCAC Fall Qualifier hosted by Wesleyan University. The tournament took place at the Lyman Orchards Golf Club, a top-rated course in Connecticut and a popular family attraction known for its cultivation of apples and peaches. 

This past weekend, however, Lyman Orchards also became a battleground on which 10 men’s golf squads, bearing the insignia of their respective New England liberal arts colleges, would duke it out for an opportunity to compete in, and possibly host, the four-team NESCAC Championship occurring this April.

The Panthers (587) emerged victorious from this scrap. They were followed by Trinity College (588) and Hamilton College (592), who finished second and third respectively. The red-hot Ephs of Williams College (596), who finished first in both the Ralph Myhre Invitational and the Williams Invitational, were nine shots behind Middlebury, landing in fifth place. The tournament host, Wesleyan University (641), placed ninth.

The Panther’s victory looked imminent after they were ranked third after the first round, having shot 293. The team, on their second day, maintained a consistent overall performance. They shot 294, which was low enough to push them into a first place finish. Evident by their one point lead over Trinity, their win was clearly a close contest.

Captain Reid Buzby ’19 (71-73) led the Panthers with an individual total score of 144, which was third overall. Just two shots behind him was Jordan Bessalel ’21 (72-74), who finished in a tie for fourth, and then Phin Choukas ’22 (75-73), who placed eighth. For 11th place, Kenneth Deiker ’22 (75-74) hit a total of 149, while David Packer ’20 (78-76) managed to land in a tie for 23rd. 

Hopefully they can replicate this strong performance on April 27 and 28, when the NESCAC Championship comes to the Ralph Myhre Golf Course. But presently, golf will need to keep its focus for the upcoming Ekwanok Tournament, happening on Oct. 9 at Manchester, Vermont.