“If we do that ever, that’s just a great day,” Kabsakalis said.
For Harvard, it was Kabasakalis who stole the show. The senior had a career-best two-under 70, and her two-day total of 147 was good for fifth-place overall.
But Kabasakalis’ day didn’t begin on the right foot.
Thanks to a three-putt and a mishit bunker shot in the first few holes, the senior found herself two over coming into the eighth hole.
“I started off with a couple of really, really stupid bogies,” Kabasakalis said.
An eagle on the eighth brought her back to even par. From there, she kept up her high level of play, draining three more birdies during the rest of her round.
“[Yesterday] felt awesome,” Kabasakalis said. “It was just fun to play. It felt easy. I just hope that I can keep that up in two weeks time.”
At least a portion of the team’s improvement from the first day to the second can be attributed to a change in conditions and an increase in familiarity with the course.
“It was kind of windy [Sunday],” Hu said. “But also, [yesterday], we knew what to expect when it came to the course. It’s easier when you’ve played a course a couple of times already.”
But mentally, something seemed to fall into place after Sunday’s round as well.
“Honestly, everyone felt more confident today,” Kabasakalis said. “[Sunday]’s scores—they were decent, but almost everyone came off the course and was like, ‘I could’ve dropped at least five shots.’ So people knew they could play well.”
From here, the team shifts its attention to the Ivy League Championships in two weeks. To win, the Crimson will have to beat tough Princeton and Yale teams and, perhaps more dauntingly, snap a year-long winless streak.
But if Harvard plays like it did yesterday, the team has upset potential come April 22.
“We’re moving in the right direction, and we’re going to do our best for Ivies,” Hu said. “All the practice we’ve been putting in has been paying off. Everything’s coming together.”
—Staff writer Robert S. Samuels can be reached at robertsamuels@college.harvard.edu.