Golfers Qualify at Dartmouth, Enter ECAC Final Saturday

Harvard toes off with eight other teams October 14 at the 13th annual Eastern College Athletic Conference golf finals in Cooperstown. N.Y.

Not only did the five man leam earn a qualifying spot by scoring second in a field of 31 teams, but three of the five team members can compete for individual honors. Quin Smith. Art Burke, and Tom Yellin shot 73, 74 and 75 to nail down three of the top ten individual positions.

Steve McConnell's 78 and the three medalists' scores rounded the leam total to 300. Skip Barry finished fifth with a 79.

Last Saturday the qualifying match was held at Dartmouth, one of the four ECAC regional competition sites. Salem College tied with Harvard for second spot while Central Connecticut State College took first place honors.

Central Connecticut posted a 298 team total at the end of competition Sunday. One CCSC golfer led the field after the 18 holes with a one-under-par 69, aided by a hole-in-one.

The ECAC is a conference of 120 schools, financed by members' dues. Team member Burke said that the Fall golfing competition "gives coaches a chance to evaluate their team. It also gives the guys a chance to practice in competition."

"Penn State, Maryland, and West Virginia are usually strong contenders in the ECAC finals." Burke said. "They give golfing grant-in-aid and have longer seasons."

Burke said that there are good golfers at Harvard but that when athletes come to school here they choose priorities; and golf is very time-consuming.

The Harvard team practices at The Country Club in Brookline. The 15 team members played inter-squad challenges last week to determine spots for the ECAC and for eight Spring trips.

Harvard plays one home match at Brookline. The rest are played at Concord Country Club. The practice contract at Brookline ran out last Friday, but the team will be able to prepare this week for the finals because a club member arranged an extension.