Sports
Hamilton golf team’s goals: “plain and simple”
By L.J. Scurfield, Sports Contributor
March 29, 2012
The golf team took its annual spring break trip to Port St. Lucie, FL to prepare for the upcoming spring golf season. Port St. Lucie, which is set on the east coast of Florida, is a hotbed of challenging golf courses that tested the Hamilton golfers before they began their season.
Staying at the village in the PGA Learning Center, the team had access to courses designed by Tom Fazio and Pete Dye, which Sophomore Captain Greg Scott described as “score-able, yet tricky. Each course provided us with a different test, and wind blowing made for a hard day.”
Each day, the team would eat, sleep and breathe golf. The Hamilton men’s golf team, led by new Coach Steve Stetson, had a rigorous schedule in which they practiced in the morning, played eighteen holes in the afternoon and either practiced or played a par three course in the evening. Senior Captain Scott Blosser praised his team in saying, “This was my third time going on this trip and it was by far the most dedicated the team has ever been to improving and getting better.” Scott added, “Another important part of the trip, was team bonding. I felt like we all came back to Hamilton with deeper friendships.”
The team thrived in Florida, and each player came back ready to go for the spring season in the northeast. They have their sights on a NESCAC Championship and a hopeful national championship appearance. When asked what their goals were for the spring, Blosser said, “The same as they are every year: Win the NESCAC Championship and go onto the NCAA Tournament.” Scott echoed Blosser’s comments in saying, “Win NESCACs. Plain and simple. We are working hard, and hopefully it will pay off in a big way.”
In order to gain some tournament experience, the team participated in one tournament in Florida in which they competed against teams from all around the country and placed second. They lost to Central College from Iowa, who advance to the NCAA Tournament consistently. It was an eye-opening experience for the players to compete against a high caliber team; now they know what it takes to rise to the top. However, the Hamilton team showed a lot of potential in Florida.
Both Scott and Carter White ’14 posted rounds of 73 in the tournament and hopefully can continue their strong play. Yet, with only one upperclassman on the team in Blosser, the Continentals are going to need their young players to play solid golf in the spring. In addition to Scott and White’s impressive play, the other freshmen played well in Florida and were posting rounds in the mid-70s by the end of the training trip.
After a successful trip, the Continentals have all of the tools they need to close out their season on a high note. Led by Scott, who was an All-American last season, the golfers will return to action in the Hamilton Spring Invitational on April 10.