Even before season starts, Yale golfers vie for roster spots

Thomas Tangtiphaiboontana, DC '04, had blown away the competition on his Long Beach, Calif., home courses in high school. When he went to college, he was confident but stymied by the legendary Yale course his freshman year.

Now in his second year with the team, Tangtiphaiboontana finished third behind Alex Fulton, TC '04, and Chris Eckerly, BR '02, in the Frederick Borsodi Championship, held at Yale on Sun., Sept. 9

COURTESY SPORTS PUBLICITY Seventeen players are vying for the team's 12 roster spots.

For Tangtiphaiboontana, the tournament was a measure of redemption after a disappointing rookie season. Unfortunately, several members of the class of 2005 contracted a case of Tangtiphaiboontana's rookie jitters.

"A bad round can happen to you on this course," he explained. "We had some freshmen say, `I haven't played this badly in six, seven years.'"

All 17 varsity golfers competed in the championship, and the stakes were unusually high. This summer, Head Coach David Paterson informed his team that five golfers would be cut in order to create a more close-knit unit.

The golfers also needed to finish high enough to play in the MacDonald Cup, formerly known as the Yale Fall Invitational. The tournament, named for the founder of the Yale course, was scheduled for this weekend but was postponed due to Tues., Sept. 11 terrorist attack on New York and Washington, D.C.

Steve Gray, BK '05, is one of those feeling the heat of competition. Though not in imminent danger of being cut, Gray knows his teammates are formidable opponents. "We have seven or eight guys who are playing real well right now, shooting under 76," he said.

Still, the intense competition for playing time among team members has done little to dampen the prevailing sense of camaraderie. "I'm playing against my teammates for a position on the team, but I still enjoy their company, both on and off the course," Gray added.

Team members realize that despite the tragedy of this week, there are events to be played, and they have done their best to remain focused.

Paterson must discount scores from the Borsodi, as the isolated score from the tournament lacks a basis for comparison. Rather, he will use qualifying rounds over the next few weeks to determine his 12-man team.

—Michael Anastasio

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