By Sam Belden
Fordham Golf finished sixth this past weekend in Vermont. The Ram Archives.
Over the weekend, Fordham Golf kept its season going with a sixth place finish at the Quechee Club Collegiate Challenge. While the Rams combined for solid scores and finished in the top half of the 12-team field, they were unable to mount any successful charges as individuals and were shut out of the top 10. The event was held at the Quechee Club’s 6,840 yard, par 72 Highlands Course, a 2012 Brian Silva redesign, in Quechee, Vermont.
The Rams opened the event with a 302, putting them in fifth place after the first round. However, while most of the competition improved their score on day two, Fordham took a step backward. Fighting through rainy weather in the early part of the day, the team finished with a 305 to drop to sixth.
Junior Fernando Morett had the lowest total score of all Fordham players, shooting rounds of 75 and 74 to tie for 14th. Sophomore Joseph Trim was not far behind, signing for twin 76s en route to a tie for 25th. This is the second event this year in which two Fordham players have finished in the top 25.
The rest of the Rams were not as fortunate. Freshman Tommy Hayes shot rounds of 77 and 78 to tie for 37th. After pacing all Fordham players in the first two events of the fall, sophomore Matt Schiller opened with an 80 and followed it up with a 77 en route to a tie for 46th. Sophomore James Mongey matched him, signing for a 74 and 83 in his two rounds.
“For a course with greens as tricky as the ones at the Quechee Club, and for weather as brutal as it was in the early morning of the second round, finishing sixth was solid,” said Trim.
Junior Oscar Cabanas, playing as an individual, shot rounds of 87 and 76. His score was not counted with Fordham’s other five.
Dartmouth, the tournament host, was the winner, turning in rounds of 285 and 293 on its way to a four-stroke victory. Rhode Island’s Billy Walthouse was the medalist, opening with a 68 and closing with a 70. John Lazor of Dartmouth and Makenzie Denver of Rhode Island each shot a 67 to share the low round of the week.
While the sixth place finish was by no means a disappointment for Fordham, the team members still feel that they have more to leave on the course — and with just two events remaining on the Rams’ fall schedule, time is running out to seriously contend. While their finishes this season include a tie for fourth at the Ryan Lee Memorial Tournament, a solo 12th at the Hartford Hawk Invitational and the recent sixth, they have yet to contend throughout a final round.
“I feel like we could have played better in all three of those events. All of us feel like we’re not quite playing to our full abilities at this point, whether it’s lackluster ball striking or a poor short game,” said Trim. “My takeaway is we need to work on our preparation for the event and making the most of our practice rounds to be ready for the first round.”
Golf will see action next at this weekend’s MacDonald Cup, hosted by Yale University. There, the Rams will face some stiff competition and more rainy weather, but they will be prepared.
“If we can withstand the elements and stay level-headed out on the tough golf course, then I think we can show a lot of schools that Fordham Golf will be a serious competitor for seasons to come,” said Trim.
