Williams outdueled the Crimson golfers by three strokes yesterday on Williamstown's rolling Taconic golf course.

The Ephmen amassed a seven-man aggregate of 407 while the linksters dragged into the clubhouse with a 410, 17 strokes in front of last place Holy Cross.

The Crimson slashed through the front nine with John Bartlett forging a 38 and Alex Vik sauntering to nine consecutive pars, despite having to lag up on a cluster of early doglegs.

Sporadic rain, coupled with sidehill lies and slipper-shaped greens began to take its toll on the linksmen after the front turn, as Bobby Thompson wound up with an 84 and Chris Bull an 86.

Captain Scott McNealy, who anchored down the number two slot, carded 12 bogeys on the day while scrambling to an 83, five strokes behind medalist Alex Vik and three off the pace of junior Dave Paxton.

On the 430-yard sixteenth, McNealy pulled out a three wood for his second shot but still didn't have enough stick to reach the uphill par four facing into the wind. The sixteenth also exacted a double bogey from Vik, who drove his tee shot into the woods. Vik came right back, flipping a pitch shot that slithered to within one foot of the pin. He flubbed the rushed putt and had to settle for a 78.

Only one player on each squad broke 80, with Vik rapping in 33 putts and splitting 12 greens in regulation for his pacesetting round.

While most of the team displayed a putting touch that would have been put to better use reducing orange crates to kindling wood, Dave Paxton needed only 30 putts, snaking home three twenty footers.

"It was a crushing defeat," said McNealy of the linksters third straight second-place finish. "We had the guns to beat them," he added.

The squad takes on B.C. today on The Country Club at Brookline after dropping the Greater Boston Championships to the Eagles on Monday.