The golf team swung into action last Thursday at the LeMoyne Invitational in Syracuse. The tournament was a one-day event featuring some of the Yellowjackets’ toughest competition.
“This past match means we are heading in the right direction,” senior Steven Goodridge. “We have some more confidence now and we are ready to play some really good golf.”
“Bottom line, LeMoyne was a successful tournament for us,” head coach Dan Wesley said. “The scores weren’t great for any of the teams, but I would clearly attribute that to greens that were almost unplayable. The golf course was decent in terms of the layout, but the design of the greens was not good. There were no flat putts, and speeds were very inconsistent.”
Despite the challenging course, the team was able to make its mark by tying the host, LeMoyne College Dolphins, for first place. But because the tournament rules mandate one winner, the Yellowjackets had to surrender their position. The fifth man from the Yellowjackets placed below the Dolphins’ fifth man, allowing the Dolphins to hoist up the plaque at the end.
Goodridge led the field finishing as individual runner up. He scored a 76, finishing one stroke behind the top finisher. Senior Matt Cairo shot two strokes over Goodridge to finish at 78 strokes on the evening. Junior John Pecor ended his evening at 81 strokes and freshman Chris Driscoll completed his outing with an 82. Sophomore Brandon Isobe had trouble mastering the course – he closed out at 89.
Goodridge also commented on the addition of Wesley as a coach.
“Our new coach has been fantastic,” he said. “He knows what to say to us at the right moments during our rounds, and he does a great job talking to us.”
The Yellowjackets found their way at LeMoyne. They rebounded from a horrible sixth place finish at the St. Lawrence Invitational, which is testament to their skill this year.
They have three more tournaments before concluding the fall schedule, which still gives them time to establish their strength over the rest of the field.
“We need to get better as a team overall to compete with the better teams in the country,” Goodridge said.
Serafini is a member is the class of 2008.
