The Jeffs shot a composite score of 641 over two days, placing them fourth out of 10 teams in the NESCAC Championships and seventh of 25 teams at the Duke Nelson Invitational.
The two tournaments, hosted by Middlebury College at the Ralph Myhre Golf Course, were played simultaneously. Jules was the success story of the weekend, finishing in a three-way tie for second in the NESCAC individual standings, while shooting his two best rounds of the year for a 76-79-155. Senior captain Justin Sharaf was not far behind, tying for sixth place with a 79-78-157.
The team made great strides in addressing the issue of depth behind Sharaf, who had the team's lowest score in each of the year's first two tournaments. Jules is leading this effort and is beginning to build a reputation for stepping up in important tournaments. For the second year in a row he put in a banner performance at the NESCAC Championships. Last year his 76 was the lowest score for the Jeffs as he led them to a second-place finish.
Jules attributed his improved performance to better putting. "I lowered my right hand a little bit and started putting really well," he said.
Whether Amherst will be able to build off last weekend's performance and gather momentum for a strong finish will largely be determined by Jules' play as well as that of classmate Andy Bruns. Sharaf and junior David Litt have performed consistently enough to get an idea of where they will likely be for the rest of the season. Sharaf can be counted on to put up rounds in the seventies, while Litt has dependably shot in the mid-to-low eighties, including an 84-85-165 this weekend.
Where Bruns and Jules will shoot on any given weekend, on the other hand, is anyone's guess. Jules' scores have ranged from a 76 to an 88, while Bruns shot rounds of 76 and 87 just last weekend. Bruns in particular has been inconsistent, either shooting below 80 or above 85 in every round. If Bruns and Jules can begin to play their best, the Jeffs will have an opportunity to rise even further as the year progresses.
"Everyone played better than they had," said Jules of the weekend. "We're improving, and that's all that matters."
The golf team will be back in action on Oct. 18-19 at the New England Intercollegiate Golf Association Championships.