5/15 – Andover: 2.5, Exeter: 5.5
5/18 – Andover: 5, Exeter: 3 (Second Match)
Despite winning the second half of the doubleheader match against Phillips Exeter Academy (Exeter), Andover ultimately lost the game to the rival team. On Wednesday, after beating Loomis Chaffee (Loomis) and Hotchkiss in a three-way playoff for third place, Andover placed third out of 27 teams at the Kingswood-Oxford Invitational, their final match of the season. Though the season is now over, Andover Golf aims to continue training and improving over the summer to prepare for the next season.
In the team’s doubleheader series against Exeter, Sebastian Montemayor ’27’s absence in the first half took a notable toll on Andover, contributing to their defeat. Sean Niu ’25 emphasized Montemayor as a crucial reason for their third-place finish at the Kingswood-Oxford Invitational.
Niu said, “Exeter was a two-day series. An 18-hole match on Wednesday. We did not have Sebastian, and we were a man down, and it had a domino effect. Saturday, we had Sebastian Montemayor ’27, and we beat them, but it wasn’t enough to win the series. Everyone played a really crucial part. First off, we got third out of 27 teams through a three-way playoff. We wouldn’t be in the position that we were without everybody, especially Montemayor. His round really helped us place well. Everyone did their part, and we beat out Hotchkiss and Loomis.”
Kevin Zheng ’26 stressed Montemayor’s ability to play under pressure and described how he handled one of the playoff holes with ease. He also mentioned how he and Sean used Montemayor’s performance as a launchpad to claiming victory in the playoffs and a final ranking of third place.
Zheng said, “Sebastian made a huge play with a crucial 180-yard draw into the wind on the playoff hole, landing the ball just 12 feet from the pin. His performance under pressure was an absolute spectacle. Additionally, Sean and I were able to finish the job, securing our win in the playoff and ultimately placing third in the tournament.”
Niu highlighted the team’s excellent attitude and resilience following their loss to Exeter in the first half of the doubleheader. He expressed pride in the team’s ability to remain steadfast despite the setback.
“We had a really good attitude. We knew we were down in the series and everyone played very well on Saturday, which really shows the resilience that these players have for being able to win a lot of their matches while knowing they are down on the series,” said Niu.
Montemayor talked about how the Exeter match marked a new opportunity for the team to redeem itself after its loss on Wednesday.
Montemayor said, “Going in, we were mentally locked in as a team. We believed we had a chance to win and were determined to fix the mistakes we made on Wednesday.”
Golf’s successes were marked by crucial moments. Niu mentioned several standout instances during the playoff, which included impressive performances by Sophia Liu ’27, Montemayor, and Zheng.
Niu said, “Definitely, in the playoff, Sophia Liu ’27 made a really good three-footer under pressure. Montemayor made a really good approach shot on the final hole. Kevin Zheng ’26 was the one who took the final stroke for Andover to seal the three-way playoff.”
Montemayor noted that, in his opinion, the K.I.T. tournament wasn’t as well-run as other tournaments like the Independent International Invitational (Triple-I). However, he acknowledged that despite the suboptimal organization, the courses were still in good condition, and the team was able to compete effectively.
Montemayor said, “This tournament was very poorly executed. If the Triple-I is like the Mona Lisa of golf, the K.I.T. is like if I tried to draw the Mona Lisa with my eyes closed. I am proud, though, of how even though this tournament had such poor organization the team was still able to take advantage of the nice course and the full day ahead of us to battle hard as a team.”
