First on Amherst's agenda was the Massachusetts State Championships, a one-day tournament hosted by Five College rival Mt. Holyoke College. The Lyons' course, The Orchards, hosted the 2004 U.S. Women's Open and is widely considered to be one of the best collegiate courses in the nation. Despite starting on such a grand stage, the Jeffs showed little sign of any early-season rust as they shot 343, good enough for second place behind Div. I Harvard University (333) in the five team field.
Senior co-captain Meg Sullivan and sophomore Sarah Harper, both of whom shot 85 and tied for sixth place overall, led the Jeffs. Emily Foran '05 earned eighth place, just one stroke behind her teammates, while fellow senior co-captain Sarah Godwin finished 11th with an 87.
"Our top four players all scored in the 80s, which is a team goal in every tournament," said Sullivan. "We were especially excited about beating Mt. Holyoke, one of our biggest rivals, and Boston University, a strong Div. I program."
Although the Jeffs' last competitive round was over a month ago, Friday's results were some of Amherst's best of the year. The team's total of 343 was only one stroke north of its best fall finish, and Godwin's round was her lowest of the season. "[Our results are] even more impressive when you figure it was our first tournament of the spring and it was on a tough golf course," said Head Coach Jim Plumer.
With momentum and home-course advantage on their side, Saturday's monsoon was the only thing that could slow down the Jeffs' hot start. With more rainfall on Saturday than in the last month combined, the opening round of the Amherst-hosted Northeast Championships didn't stand a chance. As a result, the tournament was shortened to a one-day event, also at The Orchards. Unfortunately for the Jeffs, Saturday's round was to be played at their primary practice facility, Hickory Ridge Country Club. While playing at their home course would have been a decided Jeff advantage, the team capitalized on playing consecutive rounds at the same course by posting solid numbers relative to Sunday's soggy conditions.
Harper again paced the Jeffs, this time with a team-best 88. Godwin and Sullivan posted matching 90s and Foran rounded out the team scoring with a 94. The team's 362 was still good enough for fifth in the 13-team field, 31 strokes behind the victorious Harvard Crimson. Amherst's Sunday showing was again better than Mt. Holyoke and BU, and only one Div. III squad, Middlebury College, fared better. "[Sunday was] very tough," said Sullivan. "We played the first couple of holes in the rain, and the course was playing much longer than it was on Friday due to the wetness. Although our numbers were much higher than they were on Friday, we matched up well against the rest of the field."
With one weekend left in the 2005 season, the Jeffs will finally leave the Pioneer Valley to play both Saturday and Sunday at Williams College. While the scenery will change, the quality of golf will not as the Ephs' Taconic Golf Club is the top-ranked collegiate course in the country. Saturday's round will be a dual match against the host Purple Cows, while Sunday is the Williams Invitational. Sunday's tournament will be the final intercollegiate contest for the team's three seniors-Sullivan, Godwin and Foran.
While it is the end of the line for that trio, it could also be a beginning of a rivalry. While Williams-Amherst is a marquee matchup in almost every other sport, this is the first varsity season for the women's golf program in Williamstown. This weekend could mark the beginning of yet another chapter in this epic battle.