Amherst Golf Competes in Second Round of NESCAC Tournament

Liam Archacki '24 -

Both the Amherst men’s and women’s golf teams competed in the NESCAC #2 event over the weekend. The women headed to the Ledges Golf Club in South Hadley for the second round of the cumulative NESCAC tournament on Saturday, May 2, while the men followed suit the next day. 

Holding a third-place position based on their performance in NESCAC #1 a week prior, the women’s team found itself within striking distance of a title, just four strokes behind round-one leader Williams College. 

Priya Bakshi ’24, Isabelle Ouyang ’21 and Jenny Hua ’24 led the way for the Mammoths, each shooting 79 (+7) — good enough to tie for fourth place overall. Mina Lee ’22 placed 17th with a score of 89 (+17), while Mehr Luthra ’24 was close behind in 19th place, posting 92 (+20) on the day. 

Collectively, the team’s performance propelled them past Hamilton College, who had held a tenuous one-stroke lead after the first round of the tournament. However, each of Williams’ five golfers finished within the top ten spots, allowing them to claim a decisive 628-649 cumulative victory over the Mammoths. Despite missing out on a title, Amherst women’s golf was named the 2021 NESCAC Runner-Up — a testament to the team’s impressive performance over the two-round tourney. 

The men’s team, on the other hand, found itself in an uphill battle after the NESCAC #1 event, as the Mammoths finished in the eighth spot out of the eight participating teams. 

Tommy Whitley ’24 was once again the top performer on the day for the Mammoths, tying for 28th place with a score of 83 (+11). Earning 36th place overall, Jay Lassiter ’24 shot 87 (+15), while Paul Griessel ’21 finished in 40th place at 92 (+20). The final two Mammoths followed close behind, with Michael Bakshandeh ’21 in 41st place and Ben Byman ’24 in 42nd — scoring 94 (+22) and 100 (+28), respectively. 

As a team, the Mammoths were unable to make up any ground during the NESCAC #2 event, finishing eighth on the day and eighth in the cumulative tournament with a combined score of 695. At the top of the leaderboard, Middlebury College posted a 36-hole score of 607, eking out a one-stroke tournament victory over Trinity College.

Independent of their respective performances, the poise with which both the men’s and women’s golf teams closed out their pandemic-shortened seasons is laudable given the uncertainty and logistical difficulties of the past year. Amherst golf will surely look forward to the prospect of a more typical season in the next academic year.