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Golf teams primed after training in South Carolina

By Tucker Hamlin ’17

While many of us were off enjoying our two week spring vacation, both the Hamilton men’s and women’s golf teams were preparing for their spring seasons in South Carolina.

On the men’s side, captain and leader Greg Scott ’14 looks to make a statement in the NESCAC. Coach Stetson had nothing but praise for Scott and said, “Greg Scott sets great examples for all of us.” Coach Stetson continued, “[He] is very responsible and team oriented.”

With a team that includes Scott, Chris Bousquet ’16 and 2012-2013 NESCAC Rookie of the Year Matt Yung ’16, the Hamilton men’s team is bolstered with experience and skill from top to bottom. For Scott and other seniors, “This season is going to be the final chance to represent Hamilton, so it’s definitely motivation to play well.”

In addition, the men’s team enjoyed a trip down to Myrtle Beach in S. C., where they played at the Barefoot Resort. Scott stated, “The course tested everyone with fast greens, cold and wind, but there were some good rounds and we had a blast.” Scott continued, “Myrtle Beach was a fun team bonding trip and finally had some warm weather towards the end of the trip.”

While in S. C., the men’s team played against Carleton College and walked away with a 4-1 victory. This win was the first head-to-head match that the golf team had won in the last three years.

Coach Stetson said, “Myrtle Beach was very good practice for what we will experience this spring. We saw cold and rain and played and practiced in strong winds and against good competition. There is more roll to the fairways down there compared to up north, but everything else is highly transferrable.”

The Hamilton men’s team has three more weekend tournaments to finish up the season, including a NESCAC tournament held in Williamstown, Mass. Scott is trying to make the most of his final weeks playing for Hamilton.

“It’s going to be a short spring to the finish. Hopefully we can avoid the weather and put together some good rounds to close out the year,” he said.

On the other side, the women look to continue to build off their youth. Only in their second year of play, Hamilton women’s golf is one of the newest teams on campus. Led by Captain Liz Morris ’16, the women’s team continues to grow stronger with talented younger players.

Coach Stetson praised the women’s captain: “I am fortunate to be able to interact with a leader like her.” Coach Stetson continued, “Hamilton is also fortunate because people like [Liz] make this a better place to be.”

Along with Morris, rising star Katie Veasey ’17 is proving to be a strong addition to the team. Veasey came in third during the Myrtle Beach Shootout during the spring break trip. Although she is only a first-year, Veasey is on her way to becoming one of the strongest players in the NESCAC and is a great building block for the future of the team.

Although the women’s team did not win their spring trip match, they continue to improve and build chemistry with every practice and match.

As Coach Stetson said, “Our practices were held in colder, windy conditions, which is great for northern spring golf teams. We need a lot of work but who doesn’t at this point? We have a great group of people who want to be good and will work hard to improve.”

Similar to the men’s team, the women’s team has a shortened spring with the first northern competition starting up in the spring season in April.

Veasey is excited to begin her first spring competition. She said, “[We] are anticipating a successful spring season. We started off our season with a great training trip to Myrtle Beach where we improved our games by practicing on the range daily and playing each of the four courses at the resort.” Praising her teammates, she continued, “With many teammates shooting career bests in Myrtle Beach, we are very excited to see how we will compare to our competition up north.”

Although the women’s team is new to campus, their skill and hard work will pay off in years to come. Morris said, “The hard work that the women put in during the offseason at the gym and in the putting room is really going to pay off.” She continued, “Multiple golfers had career-low rounds during our matches this spring and we are excited to host the first ever home tournament at the end of April at Skenandoa Golf Club.”

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