The golf team opened its season on Wednesday, April 11, with a strong showing. The team competed on their home course at Tunxis Country Club against Loomis Chaffee School and The Gunnery.
Loomis beat the Wyverns by six strokes with a score of 210-216 while KO was able to hold off Gunnery beating them by nine strokes with a score of 216-225.
Top performances from the Wyverns included junior Garth Swanson who shot a 40, junior James Amenta who finished with a 41, freshman Henry Krieble with a 43, sophomore Karstian Lang playing in his first ever competitive golf match, with a 45, and sophomore Troy Gostyla with a 47.
Head Coach Scott Dunbar was impressed with his team’s first showing given that the conditions were tough and they hadn’t had too many hours to practice on the course.
Coach Dunbar said despite the difficulties, players kept their heads up and didn’t get frustrated and played the best golf they could. He also commented on how people were realistic and not expecting too much from themselves.
“They were realistic and realized where they have to improve,” said Coach Dunbar. All in all, Coach Dunbar was happy with his team’s first match and believes they are capable of great improvement. This idea of improvement is clearly a focus for this year’s team. “We lost four seniors, and there are a lot of new players, but I see improvement in the future,” said Amenta.
One of the team’s goals is to get better every single day in practice, and even though golf can be frustrating at some times to remember to keep their cool. “Golf is all in the mind,” said Gostyla. “You could have the best swing in the world, but you’re always going to hit bad shots.”
Coach Dunbar hopes that this young team will get to the point where they can shoot 200 in a nine hole match and 400 when playing a full round of golf. Additionally, the whole team is looking to bring home some hardware this year. “We want to keep the Keyes Plate at KO by winning at Yale,” said Amenta. Coach Dunbar also said that he is hoping to compete in other tournaments as well including the Coppola Cup, Avon tourney, the Founders League Tournament, and the Kingswood Oxford Invitational.
Despite not being able to win their first match, the team is optimistic for not only this season but also the future. This year’s team doesn’t have any seniors and with a young varsity team in addition to having a lot of young players on the JV team coached by Head Coach Danielle Hoff, the team can only get better.
This year’s team has a lot of new golfers and a lot of new players for the varsity level, and even though this is an individual sport where teammates can’t undo a bad shot, everyone is always there to support one another.
In order to be successful this season, everyone needs to step up, according to various players. Every player on the team has to shoot the best they possibly can, and everyone has to be there to support each other, even when someone didn’t have their best showing.
Golf can be a difficult game. It is one that requires patience, poise, and precision, but the young team will certainly be a competitive team this year and a force to be reckoned with in years to follow.
The next match for the team is on Saturday April 28, against Berkshire School and Williston Northampton School.
