Thrown off-balance by the wind and tricky pin placements, the Harvard golfers lost a tight match to Providence College by three strokes yesterday at The Country Club in Brookline. Brown placed a distant third 20 strokes back.

McNealy's Last

Captain Scott McNealy, playing his last match for the Crimson, shot the team low score of 80.

After bogeying the first three holes, McNealy went one under for the next six for a 37 on the front side. He started the back with a bogey and a double-bogey and never regained his putting touch as he slipped to a 43.

Alex Vik suffered from the duck hooks all day and tied Spence Fitzgibbons at 81. Vik, who has been medalist in most of the matches, quick hooked five times and consequently only hit 11 greens on his way to four double-bogeys. "I have never hooked the ball. I stayed up last night writing a paper and I'm right-handed. I think that had something to do with my round," Vik said. Vik also suffered from playing sloppily around the greens as well as from not hitting a straight drive until the 18th.

Bobby Thompson shot an 85 while freshman Gene Purdy had an 86. Dave Paxton turned in an 88 to lose his match and three dollars in a side wager with McNealy. John Bartlett had a 90.

The Crimson's high scores were understandable considering the course conditions. "It's never been as windy at Brookline that I can remember and the pin placements were tough," McNealy said.

Taylor's Last, Too

The Crimson season was not a disappointing one to Coach Tim Taylor, who will leave Harvard this year to coach hockey at Yale. "I don't think the individual matches were indicative of our skill. The players have a lot on their minds now and often don't have all the free time needed," Taylor said after yesterday's match.

"More indicative of the caliber of our players was our performance in the New England Tournament last Thursday and Friday where we placed second. We beat Dartmouth, B.C., and Providence, all of whom beat us in individual matches," Taylor explained.

Next year the team will lose only two players, McNealy and Thompson. "I think the future looks bright," Taylor concluded.