Individual Success Highlights Golf Team’s Return to Play
Despite having a hard time finding team success, the men’s and women’s golf teams both saw standout individual play from their first-years in their first weekend of play in 2022 following the winter hiatus.
The men’s and women’s golf teams traveled all over the Northeast this weekend for their first competitions of the spring, with the women taking the trip to Poughkeepsie, New York, for the two-day Vassar Invitational, while the men’s team participated in two different events — the Western New England Classic on Saturday and a match with Williams on Sunday.
Men
On Saturday, April 16, the men’s team competed in their first event of the season, the Western New England Classic, held at the Country Club of Wilbraham in Wilbraham, Massachusetts. First-year Stephen Chen ’25 was the top finisher in the event, winning medallist honors with a score of 70 in his round. His score was enough to win him the title by three strokes.
While the team did not win the event, with that honor going to NESCAC foe Tufts, they recorded a team score of 317, with Anthony Zhang ’25, Tommy Whitley ’24, and captain Erik Zetterstrom ’22 notching scores of 80, 83, and 84 respectively to complete the Mammoths’ scorecard.
After their round just outside of Boston on Saturday, the team criss-crossed the state the next day, driving to Williamstown to take on the Ephs in a dual meet. Just like the day before, Chen’s round was again the highlight. He won his second event in two days, this time carding a 73 to win the title by two strokes. It wasn’t enough for the team, however, as Eph golfers occupied the four places behind Chen to take the team win 322-314, handing the Mammoths their first dual-meet loss of the spring. Zhang, as well as senior captains Brian Aslanian ’22 and Zetterstrom, posted rounds of 83 (12-over par) to round out the scoring for the Mammoths.
Women
While the men’s team remained in Massachusetts this weekend, the women took the trip to the Casperkill Golf Club in New York for their first competition of the spring. First year Gihoe Seo ’25 recorded a two-over par 74 in her first round of the weekend, netting her third place individually, and the team’s top individual score.
The Mammoths, who held the event’s top spot by four strokes over NYU after the first round, recorded a team score of 303, good for only 15-over par. Jenny Hua ’24 and Jessica Huang ’25 both scored 75s, putting them in a tie for fourth place heading into day two and giving the Mammoths three of the first day’s top five scores. Janelle Jin ’23 and India Gaume ’22 were the other day-one scorers for Amherst, notching 79s in their rounds.
While on day two, Amherst narrowly lost out on the team title to NYU by one stroke, 619-618, Seo sealed up a second place individual finish, carding a 77 to finish at 151 combined for the weekend. Hua and Huang again tied in their second rounds, carding 79s to tie for fourth place individually at the Invitational. Jin and Gaume also notched identical scores for a second time on the weekend, notching 81s in their second rounds and tying for 12th place overall.
The men’s team will return to action on Wednesday, April 20, at the Little Three Championships held at Lyman Orchards in Middlefield, Connecticut. The women’s team will take the course later in the week on Saturday, April 23, competing in the Leaman Invitational at Crumpin-Fox Club in Bernardston, Massachusetts.
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