The Harvard golf team splashed its way over a sodden and shortened Stow Acres Country Club course yesterday, finishing second in a three way match against Amherst and Tufts.

The Crimson fell victim to a talent-studded Amherst squad, losing to the Lord Jeffs by eight strokes. With their top five scorers tallied. Harvard and Tufts ties at 380 each, but the sixth scores gave Harvard a one-stroke edge over the host Jumbos.

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Co-Captain Steve Baker posted the top score for Harvard, recording a two-over-par 74 for 18 holes. Chet Nastala and Co-Captain Jon Mosle scored 75 and 76, but it was freshman Ian Bickley's 81 that broke the Harvard-Tufts deadlock.

Stow Acres featured unusually abbreviated distances between the tee and the pin on every hole yesterday. The recent deluge over the Boston area left the course wet enough to warrant this action by the club's management, who hoped to protect the ice areas from massive divots. "It makes the course a little easier," Nastala commented, adding that Stow Acres is fairly wide and obstacle-free as well.

Yesterday's results matched most players' expectations. However, both Amherst and Harvard--who usually finish in that order when they compete against each other--discovered important freshman assets within their ranks. The Crimson's three yardlings--Rick Nichols. Mike McAllen and Bickley--all played impressive golf and scored fourth, fifth and sixth for the team. Amherst also had "some solid freshmen we didn't expect," Nastala said.

The linksters appear to be adjusting well to Northern courses after their eight-day tour of Bermuda over spring break. Yesterday's match served as something of a tune up for next Tuesday's Greater Boston Championships.

Tomorrow the Crimson returns to Stow Acres in another triangular match against MIT and Northeastern, as the "definite favorites," according to Baker. Thursday Harvard hosts Boston College at The Country club in Brookline, a match which should provide a good preview of the GBC's.