Darkness could not come soon enough for the men’s golf team Tuesday.
Play was suspended at 6:30 p.m. at the ninth annual Adams Cup with most players having completed only 34 of the first day’s 36 holes. Yale found itself in a deep hole, ranked 14th out of 18 teams after the first round in Newport, R.I. Last year the Bulldogs finished 13th overall.
“We should hopefully make up a little ground after the second round, but no, we’re not happy,” captain Neel Williams ’04 said.
Williams said he hopes the Elis can pull out a top-10 finish. With a team score of 309 after the first round, the Bulldogs remain within striking distance. The second-round scores will not be compiled until the round is complete.
On Wednesday the competition moves to the Newport Country Club after the final second-round holes are completed at the Newport National Golf Club.
Tough weather conditions — cold air and wind — led to a sloppy tournament opening.
But Williams couldn’t put his finger on what the team needed to work on.
“At this point, you’re kind of stuck with what you’ve got,” Williams said. “You can’t really work on anything.”
Williams and Ben Levy ’04 led the Elis with scores of 76 each. Alex Fulton ’04 added a 78 and Steve Gray ’05 totaled 79. Gabe Borrud ’06 scored 84 but did not contribute to the team total that counts just the top four performers.
“It’s just the first round,” Gray said. “I got a couple bad breaks.”
The second round team totals could boost the Elis forward. Williams was one over par and Gray was at even par with two holes to play in the second round. The Newport National Golf Club is a par 72 course.
Virginia Tech, ranked 47th nationally, led with a team score of 293 after the first round, 16 strokes ahead of Yale. But the tournament’s host, the University of Rhode Island, was only nine strokes ahead of the Bulldogs with a total of 300, placing them seventh.
The Elis were uncertain about the impact the change of venue would have on their chances.
“It’s an entirely different course,” Gray said. “It could be better or worse. That’s just the way it is.”