Unstoppable trio rolls at Dartmouth tournament

CAYTE PUSHKAREVA/YH Chris Eckerle, BR '02, has been one of the main reasons for the Elis' resurgence.

As the Eli golfers made the turn onto the back nine at the Dartmouth Invitational on Sun., Oct. 4, they were locked in a fierce three-way battle at the top of the leaderboard. Situations like these would give most coaches ulcers. But Head Coach Dave Paterson suffered no anxiety attack. The three leaders were wearing Yale blue.

Peter Schumacher, CC '00, Chris Eckerle, BR '02, and Eddie Brockner, MC '01, led a brilliant Bulldog squad that finished a combined 22 shots up on its nearest competitor. Schumacher earned the best individual score, but the entire team put in a performance that Paterson called "a coach's dream."

At the Dartmouth Invitational, the Bulldogs displayed a new confidence that was absent on last year's squad. "This year's different," Schumacher said. "Last year we felt we were coming from behind. This year we go into a tournament knowing that we can win." The surge in confidence has made the Elis' drive for the NCAA finals seem like less of a pipe dream.

The quest for NCAA dominance rests on two factors: the experience gained last year against national powers and the continued strength of the top three golfers. At the NCAA regionals last year, the Bulldogs found themselves playing at a level they had never achieved before. Yale's competition included top-ranked teams such as Georgia, Florida State, and Clemson—scholarship schools that attract players on their way to the PGA. "The competition was really stiff and we didn't do so well, but it was a really good experience," Eckerle said.

Hoping to build on this experience, Paterson has begun to prep the Elis for the high-octane competition of the NCAAs by adding stronger teams and teams outside of New England to the schedule. The Bulldogs have already begun to step up to the competition. They are anticipating a close match with their perennial rival, the University of Rhode Island, who they will face at the Adams Cup on Wed., Oct. 13 and Thurs., Oct. 14. "Rhode Island is a little bit better as it is a larger school with scholarships, but we can give them a run for their money," Eckerle said.

The results of the Dartmouth tournament prove that the Elis' newfound confidence is more than just hot air. Schumacher, Eckerle, and Brockner—Yale's golf triumverate—constantly challenge one another to improve. The three compete against one another on the practice course, but this gives them confidence during tournaments. Feared throughout the Ivies last season, each player's handicap has already fallen since last year. "It's encouraging knowing that [Eckerle and Brocker] will be there to back you up," Schumacher explained.

Of the trio, Schumacher is currently producing the best scores. He is the team's power hitter, a player for whom par fives are well within reach. He easily "knocks four stokes off your par right there," Paterson explained. Like Schu-macher, Brockner is a big hitter, while Eckerle has a more controlled game. Paterson described him as "machine-like" and "mathematical." Eckerle's composure—in addition to his infallible putter—helped him to capture the Ivy League individual title last year.

The Elis will need their competitive spirit to stay successful throughout their long, grueling season, which includes five tournaments in the fall and seven more in the spring. The three most prestigious tournaments—Ivies, New Englands and Regionals—do not take place until the spring. The Bulldogs, however, are already building momentum, week by week, as they look forward to the spring season. "If you put up a good performance one week, it's easier to come up strong the next week," Schumacher said. Each strong performance eases the mental pressure on the Eli golfers so that come spring, their swing toward NCAA dominance will be that much smoother.

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