The Crimson varsity linksters upped their season record to 8-4 yesterday by splitting a "down-to-the-wire" tri-match against Holy Cross and Williams at the Taconic Country Club in Williamstown.

After the bogeymen ousted visiting New England powerhouse Providence at the Country Club on Tuesday, the linksters were hoping to breeze past the Crusaders with relative ease. But the Crimson's hopes for a quick double win were crushed when a pair of 79's by Holy Cross stand-outs Pete Mondani and Tom Bagley gave the Crusaders a 405 team total, leaving the linksters one shot astern with 406. The Williams contingent, paced by Chip Audin's 79, rolled into the 19th hole in sole possession of last place at 410.

Sophomore driving maestro Glenn Alexander led the Harvard charge with an eight over par 79. Alexander was even par at the turn, but a late-round rain shower left his back nine score flooded with high numbers, as the Quincy House resident lost eight shots to par in the final seven holes.

Alexander began the day by reaching the putting carpet of the par five first hole in only two shots. But the slow Taconic greens caused the Michigan native to misjudge the putt and he eventually three-putted for a par.

After suffering another bogey on the second hole. Alexander cruised at two-over until back-to-back birdies at nine and ten sent him back to even par. It was on the home stretch, however, that the wheels came off in the form of back-to-back double bogeys on 13 and 14.

Tom Edwards finished second for the Crimson, with co-captain Jim Dales and freshman Carroll Lowenstein carding solid 82's to take the third and fourth slots. Junior George Arnold rounded out the five man team score with an 83.

Both Edwards and Dales also fell victim to the slow putting conditions. Edwards, traditionally one of the best putters on the squad, drove it well all day but couldn't find the putter handle, while Dales' chances of a sub-80 performance were shattered by no-less-than five three-putters.

"I really hit it well tee to green," Dales said later. "But with the rain coming down and the slow greens the three-putters just kept on coming."

The linksters will play their biggest match of the season this Saturday when they tee it up for the Ivy League Championships at Dartmouth Country Club in Hanover.