The Lady Polar Bears had their opening match of the season this past weekend, hosting the third annual Bowdoin Blast at Brunswick Golf Club on a rainy Saturday afternoon.
The tournament consisted of individual competitors from Bates, Bowdoin, St. Anselm, and Maine-Farmington, as well as a dual match between the Bowdoin and Bates teams.
Unfortunately, the Polar Bears came up short in the dual match losing to the Bobcats (384) by a total of 30 shots. Despite the loss, young talent for the Polar Bears showed some promise for future tournaments as first year Chelsea Gross posted a 95 in Saturday's round.
This score placed Gross fourth overall in the individual competition, as she was able to overcome the pressures of competing in her first golf tournament for the Bowdoin team.
Despite leading the Polar Bears individually, the top three scores in the tournament were carded by Bates players. Mimi Neal of Bates walked away with the individual performance of the day, firing a 90 on the challenging Brunswick Golf Course. The score that earned her the medalist honors for the tournament.
The women's team wasn't the only golf team in competition this past weekend. The men's golf team continued its season, hosting the 2009 Bowdoin Invitational at the Brunswick Golf Course.
The Polar Bears entered the competition brimming with confidence following their performance earlier in the week, which awarded them second place.
However, Husson College stole the show. The Husson team finished the weekend with an aggregate score of 599, outscoring second place St. Anselm's by nine shots. The Polar Bears finished fourth overall in the tournament with a total score of 630.
Senior Captain Ryan Blossom, who posted an 80 in his first round followed by a five-over-par 77 in his second round, led the team to its fourth place finish. Blossom proved to be the best golfer for the Polar Bears throughout the match and managed to place 14th overall in the tournament's individual standings.
Despite a solid showing from Bowdoin, Husson's experience and consistent play paid off. Four of Husson's five players finished in the top seven (individually) for the weekend.
The good news for the team is that the tournaments leading up to the NESCAC qualifier (in which the squad is required to place fourth or higher to continue to compete in the spring) allow the first time starters in the line-up to grow accustomed to the pressure of tournament play, as well as the pressure of playing in a collegiate team environment.
So far they are doing an impressive job of stepping into the spotlight, but consistency will be hugely important as the season progresses.
During the weekend, four of the top five starters for the Polar Bears were able to post a score in the 70s in one of the two rounds. The team's goal now is to have each starter post both of their rounds in 70s. If Bowdoin can achieve this, they will truly be competing against the top teams.
Junior co-captain Turner Kufe came out firing in the first round of the Bowdoin Invitational carding a 76, just two shots off the pace set by Husson's Matt Loubier. In contention for a medalist position, Kufe went into Sunday's round looking to go low for the second day in a row.
However, Kufe came out of the gates slow on Sunday and shot an 85.
"We have the ability to shoot mid, low 70s scores as seen by a couple of 76s and 77s," he said, "but no one is consistent enough to do it for the whole tournament right now. We're all focused on mentally keeping it together for the two days."
One of the biggest challenges for both the men's and the women's teams this fall will be the battle against inexperience, and this upcoming weekend will prove to be a test for the Polar Bears.
The men's team will travel to Williams College this weekend to compete in the annual Williams Invitational at the Taconic Golf Course.
The women's squad will also be seeking revenge this upcoming weekend when they travel to compete at the Prospect Hills Golf Course in Auburn, Maine, Bates's home course.