The Harvard men's golf team has much to look forward to as players and coaches get ready for a season that is sure to be chock full of birdies, bogeys and perhaps a couple eagles.
The Crimson enters the year with virtually the same squad that roamed the greens for Harvard last season. Graduated senior Lou Body, who was better known for his hip checks than his drives around Harvard, is the only player the Crimson lost to graduation.
"We have quite a few players back this season and that's nice," Head Coach Bob Leonard says. "The question is whether we can put it all together."
A familiar face returns to lead the Crimson. Senior Jack Wylie served as co-captain of the team last season and junior Joel Radtke will join him this year as the other co-captain.
Indeed, Wylie has much experience as a captain, considering he also served in that capacity as a precocious sophomore two years ago.
"Jack Wylie is back and that certainly gives me reason to be optimistic," Leonard says.
Wylie has always proven to be a formidable individual force at tournaments, very frequently pacing the Crimson with its best score. At the New England Division One Championships, which represented the team's last and also its best performance of the year, Wylie shot 153 over two days and finished 10th in the competition.
Radtke also established himself as one of team's key players last season and, along with Wylie and junior Jun Choo, should continue to stand out this year.
But because of the number of returning players, the Crimson would like to rely on its depth and team unity rather than on purely individual performances.
"Golf is clearly an individual sport in many ways," Leonard says. "We're trying, however, to improve our play by playing as part of a team. Playing as individuals will not get us anywhere."
Leonard said that Radtke and Wylie must emphasize that team philosophy tournament by tournament for all 14 competitions of the season.
"Jack and Joel will set the pace, and I think the players are developing that team attitude," Leonard says.
In terms of the actual outcomes of the competitions, what is perhaps more important in getting the Crimson over the proverbial hump is the crop of incoming freshman players.
"If one or two freshmen crack the lineup, I think we'll be in very good shape," Leonard says.
The fall season kicks off on September 25 with the Wildcat Invitational at New Hampshire, but the team is taking the ECAC qualifier in early October a little more seriously. The Crimson would like nothing more than to be in the heat of the battle later in the month at the ECAC Championships at Colgate.
"I think we can compete with the top teams in the North district, and I'm optimistic for our chances at the ECAC Championships," Leonard says.
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