The Crimson golf team thwarted M.I.T.'s efforts to become Cambridge's best golf team yesterday, defeating the Engineers, 6-1, on the Concord Country Club. It was Harvard's eighth win.

Only Ben Smallnick, an Engineer with an unusual swing, managed to stifle his Crimson opponent. Playing poorly at the number two spot. Cooch Owen lost to the likeable, Smallnick, 3 and 2, Owen usually plays in the number three spot, but moved up to play Smallnick when Jack Purdy, the usual number two golfer, decided that he had had enough of Smallnick at the Greater Bostons.

At the number three position, Purdy defeated Mark Davies, 2 and 1. Playing poorly, Purdy was fortunate that Davies was playing worse. "But it was nice to play a quiet golfer." Purdy-who had been with the talkative Smallnick for 36 holes at the Greater Bostons-said last night.

"I wasn't nervous over the ball, but I never thought that I would sink it," Fred Sherman said last night of his 39.6 foot pu?? that gave him a one-up victory over M.I.T.'s Bob Armstrong.

Sherman, who had been feeling the pressure of his winning streak earlier in the match, birdied the 18th with his long pu??, Armstrong, needing only a 10-foot birdie to tie the Crimson golfer, was psyched out, and missed it.

Finishing their matches before Sherman, Purdy and captain Yank Heisler were a few feet away from the 18th gree. "We were talking about our matches, but we didn't see Fred's ball until the last yard when it just came up to the cup and fell in," Purdy said.

"We ran out and paced off the 39.6 feet. It was a good putt." he added.

Pat Grant, playing behind Sherman, chipped and putted very well as he notched a convincing victory over M.I.T.'s Greg Erickson. Four over par for 14 holes, Grant won, 5 and 4.

The Crimson's Tim Schaaf and M.I.T.'s Andy Smith changed leads several times before Schaaf was able to defeat the Engineer, 2 and 1. Heisler easily won his match, 5 and 4, upping his season's record to 7-2. Two under par for the last nine, Skip Kistner continued to play well, making four birdies and defeating his M.I.T. opponent, 6 and 4.