The Harvard golf team had little trouble downing a winless Columbia team, 5 1/2-1 1/2, but finally met its match when it bowed to Penn, 4 1/2-2 1/2, in a tri-meet yesterday in Philadelphia that brought out the best and the worst in the Crimson squad.

Sophomores Yank Heisler and Jack Purdy were the only Harvard players to beat both opponents.

Heisler, moved up from fifth to fourth man, topped Ken Agron of Penn and Bob Abodeely of Columbia on the 18th hole of both matches. Purdy easily beat Dan Basarich of Columbia, 4 and 3, but had to take Penn's Jim Sheldon all the way to the 18th before he downed him, 2 up.

Captain Bo Keefe, the Crimson's number one man, shot a 71 to lead the team in medal score, but could only manage a split in his matches. He lost to Penn's Dave London, 5 and 4, who finished at three-under-par 69.

Bruce Lopucki, number two for Harvard, could not find the hole against either Penn or Columbia. He lost 2 and 1 to Ted Hagendorn of Penn and 1 down to Bill Fenton of Columbia.

Despite a 11-2 record and the advantage of playing on their home course, Penn never held a large advantage on the Crimson. Third man Tommy Wynne was within striking distance on Penn's Larry Yohe through the entire match, but he finally went down 2 and 1 on a three putt 17th green. He beat Columbia's Bob Bly 1 up on the 18th.

A Wynne victory would have tied the score at 3-3 and forced Penn's seventh man to play Joe Tibbetts in a sudden death playoff. Tibbetts finished in a rare three-way tie when he caught Penn's man with a par on the 18th but dropped the hole to a birdie by Columbia's man to half the other match.

The split at Penn puts Harvard's record at 6-1 going into Monday's Greater Boston Open at Weston Country Club. The Crimson won the crown last year.