Captain Jim Ricker ’09 completed an incredible comeback last Wednesday, winning five holes in a row to win one up against a tough Holderness opponent. With Ricker’s incredible comeback, Andover ended up tying a very challenging Holderness team with 4.5 points apiece. Leading up to a close tie against Holderness, Andover took on Belmont Hill last Thursday at Trull Brook Golf Course. The conditions at Trull Brook were decent, considering the time of year, as the fairways were smooth and the greens were fast. Off first from the tee for Andover were Ben Ho ’11 and Roo Hamilton ’09. Despite some good golf, the duo was only able to win one and a half out of three points, with Ho winning his match and tying the best ball along with Hamilton. Coming second off the tee for Andover was the pair of James Poss ’10 and Ricker. While Ricker struggled early and ended up losing his match, Poss secured his match while the duo tied their best ball match to win another one and a half points for Andover. With the score tied after the first two groups, it was Charlie Pecora ’12 and Will Lindsey ’10 who won the contest for Andover. By winning all three of the points available, Andover pulled away and ended up winning 7-5 against its Belmont Hill opponents After a successful victory against Belmont Hill, Andover faced off against Holderness at Indian Ridge Country Club. Ho and Hamilton went off again in the one and two positions, looking to take the early lead. Although they both never gave up, they struggled to get into a good rhythm and ended up winning only half a point. Poss and his partner Andrew Lee ’10 played well, winning three points for Andover. The key to this match was Poss, who came up big on the last hole, sinking a clutch ten footer to win his match. However, the big story of the day was Ricker. After struggling mightily on his first four holes, going four down through four, he gathered his composure and won holes five through eight to get his match back to even. With the team resting on his shoulders, he faced a tough ten footer to tie the score for Andover. After he stroked the putt, the ball hung on the lip, until finally dropping in, winning the match and tying the score for Andover. Looking ahead, Coach Brian Faulk has many goals for the rest of the season. “The team is tight-knit and the golfers really enjoy playing with each other. Looking forward, we need more consistency across the board. We need players to avoid big numbers to avoiding ruining medal play scores,” Coach Faulk said. Faulk continued, “Next week is our biggest test of the season, Newport. The course is tough, and I need players to step up and show that they have the mental toughness to grind it out and play eighteen holes of solid golf.” Next week, Andover will play against New Hampton in preparation for the Andover Newport Invitational.
