The Crimson golf team began the regular 1969 season with a disappointing 5-2 loss to Navy at Annapolis Saturday.

Captain Bruce LoPucki played in the number one spot and beat his opponent handily, 5 and 3. He played the wet course even par.

Joe Tibbetts, playing in the number 4 spot, was the other Harvard winner, beating his opponent 3 and 2.

Harvard lost the other matches by very close scores. Number three man, Jack Purdy, who was two up with two to go on the 17th hole, suffered the biggest disappointment. On the par three 17th hole, the Navy man lifted a beautiful drive that hit the pin and landed a foot away. He sunk the putt for a birdie. Purdy parred the hole.

Bogeys

Purdy lost the 18th hole when he bogied it and the Navy man managed a par. Purdy bogied the difficult 19th hole while the Navy man birdied it to win the match.

Number 5 man, Paul Oldfield, had to sink an eight-foot putt to win the 18th hole and tie the match. At the last moment, his putt veered to the low side and he lost the match, one down.

Sophomore Steve Owen lost his match by the same score. Yank Heisler, playing behind LoPucki, lost two down. Number 7 man, Tommy Wynne, played a good front nine, but lost his match 2 and 1.

Southern Trip

The seedings for the Navy match were determined by matches that Harvard played on its southern tour.

Playing as individuals in the Miami Invitational, the team finished an unofficial 15th. Yank Heisler had Harvard's best individual score of 316 over 72 holes. The weather during the Invitational should prepare Harvard for New England golf weather. It rained for two of the four cold and windy days.

Playing one of the top five teams in the country, Harvard lost to the University of Georgia on two successive days by the same score, 38 1/2-6 1/2. Georgia uses the one-ball Nassau scoring system and this is part of the reason for such a lopsided score.