Golf team a disappointing sixth at Yale Fall Invitational

Despite the auspicious debut of Alex Fulton, TC '04, and a magnificent second-round 69 from Brant Rubin, MC '02, last weekend's Yale Invitational had many players asking for a mulligan. Yale entered three teams in the 21 team tournament and placed sixth, seventh, and 17th with scores of 915, 919, and 970.

COURTESY SPORTS PUBLICITY Golf captain Louis Aurelio, MC '01, shot a 238 last weekend.

"We were all pretty disappointed with our finish," said Chris Eckerle, BR '02, who shot a 228. "I don't know if we let down, but we definitely did not meet our expectations."

The players attributed their shaky play to poor putting, a tough course, and an inability to stay focused, especially early in each round.

"My putter let me down this weekend," Eckerle said. "I couldn't get the putts to fall even though I had been putting well all week."

Other players, like Eddie Brockner, MC '01, who shot a 231, had difficulty getting on track each day. "I got off to a poor start in all of my rounds," he said . "It was the first tournament and it was difficult to get ready for tournament competition, especially when playing at a course which is so familiar."

Perhaps the lack of familiarity with Yale's course proved to be a blessing for Fulton (71-73-78), whose third place 215 represented the bright spot of the Bulldogs' weekend on the links. In his first college tournament, the freshman showed a calmness and consistency associated with someone who has stared down the Yale Golf Course's fairways many times. Fulton's response to his stupendous performance was as cool as his play.

"I was not surprised," he said. "I have had quite a bit of tournament experience. I knew I could play at the college level. There were tough conditions, but I stayed with it mentally, limited mistakes, and played consistent golf."

Teammates were impressed, if not surprised, by Fulton's debut. "Alex was our top recruit," Brockner said. "We knew that he would make an immediate impact."

Rubin's second round 69 (-1), one of only three under-par rounds for the weekend, provided the other highlight for the Elis. Rubin finished 15th overall with a 226, but his Saturday performance left an indelible imprint on the minds of his peers. "There was a difficult set-up on the course, so to shoot under par is really impressive," Brockner said.

With last weekend behind them, the Bulldogs travel north to Hanover, NH for the Dartmouth Invitational. Last year, the Elis ravaged the field at this tournament, winning by 22 strokes. Brockner remains confident that the early-season jitters of the Yale Invitational will not translate to the Hanover Country Club.

"We will be fine. I think that we have an excellent chance of winning this week at Dartmouth," he said. To fulfill that prophecy, veterans such as Eckerle, Brockner, and first Team All-Ivy members Captain Louis Aurelio, MC '01, and Nate Mickelson, SY '02, must find the consistency that made their rookie teammate look like a mini-Tiger for a weekend.

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