The men’s golf team rallied Wednesday to improve on its disappointing first round score at the Adams Cup in Newport, R.I., but their late effort could not save them from the bottom of the standings.
Forced to hit the greens at 7 a.m. because of the previous day’s premature stoppage of play, the Bulldogs completed the tournament’s final two rounds Wednesday, placing 13th for the second year in a row. With a score of 305 in the second round and 295 in the final third round, Yale finished with an aggregate score of 909, 53 over par and 36 shots behind champion Michigan State.
Texas A&M finished second at 20 over par, followed by Georgia and Kentucky at 23 over par.
Yale’s placement follows a first-place finish at the Dartmouth Invitational and a second-place finish at the Macdonald Cup, both in September.
Steve Gray ’05 said the team’s final round score was solid thanks to freshman Gabe Borrud ’06. Borrud birdied five of six holes in one stretch to card a team-low 71 in the third round.
In the first round, Borrud shot an 84.
“The first two rounds were the worst competitive golf I’ve played in three years,” Borrud said.
Captain Neel Williams ’04 said Tuesday after the first day of competition he hoped Yale would finish in the top 10.
“That’s the low end of acceptable,” Williams said of the Elis’ 13th place. “Not too hot.”
On the final round, Williams shot a 73, Gray a 75, and Ben Levy ’04 a 76. The final-round course, Newport Country Club, is a par-70 course.
The tournament’s first two rounds on Tuesday took place on the par-72 Newport National Golf Club before moving to Newport Country Club for the third and final round.
The change was a welcome relief for the Elis after having more than their share of trouble at Newport National.
“Playing such a hard course can wear on your swing and reverse some of what we’ve been working on,” Williams said.
In the second round, Williams shot a 74, Gray a 74, Levy a 78, and Alex Fulton ’04 a 79.
Borrud’s second round score did not count in Yale’s team total 305. Only the top four individual scores are counted in the team total.
“I felt like a chicken with its head cut off, running around the course,” Borrud said.
But things started looking up at historic Newport Country Club, home of the first U.S. Open in 1895.
“It’s my favorite course we play each year,” Williams said.
And it showed on the sixth hole.
Looking shaky at 5-over through 10 holes, Williams holed out from the fairway for eagle. Williams played the back nine holes before the front nine to space out the competitors.
Borrud’s moment to shine arrived on the 194-yard 15th hole of the final round. He hit his tee shot to within 2 inches of the cup and tapped in for birdie on the par-3 hole.
The Bulldog’s next fall tournament is The Tillinghast tournament in Scarsdale, N.Y. Oct. 21-22.