The linksters met Ivy League nemesis Princeton on a rain sodden Yale University golf course yesterday but fell by the wayside to the Tigers for the second time this season while fending off host squad Yale by one stroke.

Alex Vik, fresh off a whirlwind three-under par performance that made him medalist for the second straight year in the Ivy League tourney, manhandled Princeton's captain Don Foster by five strokes.

Vik racked up a low ball score of 74 while sophpmore Dave Paxton nailed down a 77 and captain Scott McNealy fired an 80.

The golfers gambolled through what Vik called "a solid wall of rain" but except for a binge of four bogeys on five through nine, Vik managed to scramble in withpars.

On the 440-yard fourth, which former tour star Tommy Armour once called the greatest in the country, Vik sailed a 220 rapier sharp three-iron to the back of the elevated green girdled by Greist Pond, which dominates the layout. Vik lagged his birdie attempt one inch from the cup and had settle for a par.

The treacherous par three ninth proved a bigger hurdle for the linksters. The green is bisected by a yawning v-shaped gully and Vik decided to go with a choked up four-wood but rocked it past the pin.

Playing partner Foster carded an erratic 79, lacing his drive on the fourth into water. "He didn't measure up," said Vik. "He was wild off the tee."

Besides the inclement weather, the linksters had to contend with slow, rain-filmed green and plugged lies.

Paxton, who did not make the trip to Princeton for the Ivy tourney, strung his second under-80 round this week. He rapped in a 20-foot birdie putt on five and hit a wedge stiff on 11 for a birdie three.

The seven man Tiger contingent tallied a 360 while the Crimson needed 396 strokes. Yesterday's loss marked an improvement over the linksters' last outing against Princeton when they went under by 14 strokes.

"I don't think there's any question we can beat them," said Paxton, "we just have to play well and we didn't."