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Wesleyan’s golf team finished a disappointing 9th out of 10 teams at the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) Champ-ionships this weekend, bringing their overall
record to 4-60 for the season. 

Adam Diamond ’03, Team Captain Zach Antonucci ’02, Jon Blanchard ’03, Andrew Bruner ’04 and Chapin Kelly ’04 were the Cardinals’ five qualifiers for the two-day tournament, bringing in a final score of 701. The overall winner was Williams College, with a score of 645.

"We definitely didn’t do as well as we hoped," Kelly said. "Golf is such an individual sport that sometimes it comes down to how a particular golfer is performing. People have their own struggles."

Despite the low finish, Head Coach Dave Snyder said he was pleased with the team’s effort and with Diamond and Antonucci’s performances in particular.

"Adam Diamond shot a 79 the second day and played a really nice round. He didn’t play as well on Saturday, so that was a huge improvement," Snyder said. "Zach Antonucci has been
a good, solid, steady performer all year."

Diamond was Wesleyan’s top player at the tournament, with a score of 92-79-171. Antonucci was close behind, scoring 89-83-172.

Snyder attributes the team’s difficulties this year to inexperience, calling it a re-building year for Wesleyan golf. The Cardinals lost their top two players from last year to graduation and their number three player is abroad this year. 

"I knew we were going to struggle," Snyder said. "Essentially, we’re minus our top three from last year. When you lose your top three kids, it’s re-building time."

Only half of this year’s team members are returning players and there are five frosh on the roster. Snyder said he is optimistic about the team’s development and future performance.

"The younger kids will be real contributors. It will just take time," Snyder said. "Patience is a virtue, both on my part and on theirs."

Snyder also emphasized that the team’s persistence and practice will eventually pay off.

"The team’s working hard and doing their best. They’re maintaining a positive attitude," he said. "We’re just going to keep showing up and swinging clubs and do the best we can to represent Wesleyan." 

Although the fall season is drawing to a close, the Cardinals still have the spring to improve their record. According to Kelly, the spring season is the more important one for the golf team, culminating in the Little Three Tournament against Williams and Amherst College.

"The whole spring is building towards that last weekend," Kelly said. "That tournament in particular would be nice to win."

Snyder said he plans to use this fall season as a learning experience for his players. 

"Spring is a long ways away," Snyder said. "Obviously, we’re not going to have Tiger Woods out there second semester, but we’re just going to get better from this fall experience."

Wesleyan golfers will head to New Seabury, Massachusetts on Oct. 23 and 24 for their last competition of the fall season, the New England Tournament.

"The New Englands is a big, exciting tournament," Snyder said. "The team is looking forward to it."