The Crimson golfers, hoping for one dazzling performance to turn around an otherwise so-so season, will travel to New Haven this weekend to play in the Eastern tournament.

Harvard and the 19 other teams in the EIGA will play 18 holes on Saturday and 18 more on Sunday at the Yale Golf Course, made even more rugged than usual by its current state of disrepair due to a maintenance workers' strike.

At stake in this weekend's play will be the Eastern championship, the Ivy League title, and two bids to the NCAA tournament.

Four Victors

The Crimson linksmen stand at 5-5 for the season going into the tournament. Harvard has already been defeated by four Eastern rivals. Navy, Penn, Yale, and Princeton.

Last weekend's double loss to Princeton and Yale dealt an especially big blow to the Crimson hopes of an Eastern championship.

"Before that match, I was optimistic. But now I just don't know. Being realistic. I would have to say our chances are only average." captain Fred Sherman said.

Penn State

If there is a favorite in the tournament, it would have to be Penn State. Perennially strong, the Nittany Lions have taken second place in the last four Eastern championships.

"If it had been 36 holes last year, we would have won it." Penn State coach Joe Boyle said earlier this week. "We'll have to be contended with this year, I'll guarantee you."

Boyle's squad is 10-1 on the season and has lost only to Maryland-not in the EIGA. Harvard and Penn State have had only one common opponent-Princeton, Harvard lost by six strokes to the Tigers, while the Nittany Lions beat them by 11.

Heat Wave

In preparing for the match, the Crimson linksmen can take heart only in the fact that they are at least within striking distance of any team in the field, provided they have two very hot days.

"After all, look at what happened last year." Sherman said. "Dartmouth surprised everyone and won the thing. You just never can tell."