Rainsoaked Golfers Outshoot Cornell

The Harvard golf team traveled to the lush green grass and tumultous waterfalls of Ithaca, N.Y., and came back with more than just suntanned faces and uplifted spirits. In their best match of the year, the golfers downed Cornell, 382-385.

"It was clearly our best," commented captain Skip Kistner after the match. "This is especially true considering the fact that it was an away match, and the weather conditions."

Far from being sun-drenched, the golfers came back rain-soaked, and had to survive a bumpy plane ride to Ithaca.

Leading the Crimson drive was last year's freshman captain, Quinn Smith, who turned in a 71, the best card of any Harvard player all year. Kistner turned in Harvard's second lowest score for the match with a 76.

Cornell's 385 was the lowest score the Big Red has ever gotten on its home course and still lost.

Other Harvard scorers included Terry Wynn, who came in third with a 77; and Skip Barry and John Stoviak, who posted 79's.

Harvard's win--the Crimson's fourth in as many years over Cornell--brings its season mark to 7-4, and provides the team with a major psychological push as it approaches the Eastern championships this Saturday at Yale.

The Eastern will decide both the Eastern and the Ivy League championship.

Yesterday's match was originally scheduled in early April, but had to be postponed because of a late April Ithaca blizzard. Cornell was expected to take the match, especially in view of their home course advantage. Until today, the Crimson golfers had never seen the course.

Particularly impressive was the strong performance by Smith, who, in the words of one his teammates, "was hitting everything stiff."

Before heading down to New Haven, the golfers face a preliminary test tomorrow against a strong Holy Cross team at home in Concord.