In its first tournament of the spring season, the Amherst men’s golf team tied for 12th at the Hampton Inn Invitational hosted by the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. Facing a pool of 18, the Mammoths battled the top teams in New England amidst harsh weather conditions at Allendale Country Club in Dartmouth, Massachusetts.
Senior Sam Procter opened up his final spring campaign on a high note, as he tied for eighth-place overall with a stellar second day effort. Proctor scored 81 on the first day and improved to 73 on day two for a total score of 154. Fellow senior Justin Henriksen trailed Procter with a total score of 163. Henriksen’s first day was his strongest, as he shot 78 and 85, respectively, for a 47th place finish.
Two more seniors were part of Amherst’s veteran-heavy roster, as Mateo Weisner and Dan Langa tied for 73rd place. Langa shot 87 and 82, while Weisner registered 80 and 89, with each pair of scores combining for a total of 169. Finally, sophomore Nick Sullivan rounded out the Mammoths’ efforts with a scorecard of 90-89-179 to earn 87th place.
“We learned a lot about ourselves in this first matchup,” Sullivan said. “The team has a long way to go, but I think we understand our strengths and weaknesses better after this weekend.”
This fall, the Mammoths ended their season on a high, having qualified for the NESCAC Championships, and the team trained throughout the winter to improve upon its play. After taking fourth at the NESCAC qualifier, Amherst looks to use these early tournaments to prepare for the postseason.
“Considering the conditions and the high level of competition, we did our best to overcome,” Procter said. “The first tournament in New England is always unpredictable, and I hope we can really build upon this. Heading into the Williams Spring Opener, I think we have a lot to be excited about, and I hope that we can keep up the focus and initiative we have on the team right now.”
Next up, the Mammoths will tee off at the Williams Spring Opener on Saturday, April 21 at Williams.
