The men's golf team teed off its spring season at the Lou Flumere Invitational on Thursday and ended a busy week at the Palamountain Invitational hosted by Skidmore College. The Jeffs, with the addition of two promising first-years, retain the same roster as last year but hope to improve upon their past performances. The 2003-04 season was a solid one for the Lord Jeffs, who placed in the top 10 in eight tournaments, led by senior captain Justin Sharaf. Last year the Jeffs opened their spring season by placing 14th in the Bentley College-hosted Flumere Invitational, setting the tone for an accomplished but largely mediocre season. This year the Jeffs hope to reclaim the Little Three Championship from rival Williams College by playing more consistently and taking full advantage of the talent the team boasts. The Jeffs' sixth-place performance Thursday was indicative of the direction the team hopes to take for the rest of the short spring season.

Junior David Litt, who competed at the number-two spot last year, stepped up at the Lou Flumere and led the team with his outstanding play. Litt shot an impressive 74 at the one-day tournament, securing himself second place as an individual, only two strokes behind Matt Baran of Salem State University. The Vikings also captured the team title. Sharaf and sophomore Sean Jules, two consistently strong players for the Jeffs, came in second and third for the team, scoring a 78 and an 83, respectively. Junior Keith Zalaski, who contributed with an 86, has shaken off the basketball season and is well on his way to achieving the level of play he attained last spring. First-year Judd Olanoff, playing in his first collegiate tournament, posted an 89 to cap off the tournament. The Jeffs had a total of 321, moving them to sixth place, up eight spots from last year, but still three spots behind Williams, who finished third.

"Lou Flumere was definitely a step in the right direction," said Litt. "We came in sixth out of 21, but with one more good score we could have cracked the top five. We really just need a fourth score around 80 and everyone else to keep playing solid. Hopefully this weekend at Williams for District One we can get four solid rounds and give us some confidence going into the Little Three Championships."

To keep finishing well the team must overcome its biggest obstacle: consistency. "Getting solid contributions from our fourth and fifth guys has been a problem for us, and if we can handle that then there is a good chance at a very successful spring season," said Zalaski.

Next on the agenda was the Palamountain Invitational, a two-day tournament. In 2004, the Jeffs were led to a seventh-place finish by Sharaf, who shot a season-low 149 en route to his first collegiate title. This year, Sharaf paced the team again, but this time with a disappointing 79-81-160. Jules followed with 83-82-165, and first-year Jesse Corradi, playing in the first tournament of his college career, posted 83-88-171. Andrew Bruns '07 contributed both days with 85-87-172 and Gifford Sommerkamp '05 rounded off the roster with a 93-91-184. The team finished with an overall score of 668, tying for 11th place.

Next week the team will again head west, this time to Williamstown to compete in the District One Shootout, the penultimate tournament of the year before the season-ending Little Three Championships, also held at Williams' Taconic Golf Club.