Co-captain Ben Ho ’11 led Andover to a spectacular day, taking a commanding lead in the races for both the Witherspoon Bowl and the Lovell Cup. Shooting a solid one under par 34, Ho also took the lead in the competition for the Mangan award, given to the individual medalist over the three round competition between Exeter, Governor’s and Andover. Co-captain Chris Kerrigan ’11 said “Andover golf dominated today.” “Ben secured a demanding lead as the medalist after the first two rounds,” said Kerrigan. “His ridiculously high round led the way for our team’s overall fantastic play.” “I think that the whole team got into a really good, calm state of mind today,” said Ho. “Everyone grinded out good scores despite the awful weather, and I think that shows a lot of maturity, which is key to playing good golf.” Kavan Canekeratne ’14 and Wattana ’12 followed Ho and both shot solid scores of 36, while Kerrigan and John Perkins ’13 cleaned up, shooting 40 and 41 respectively. “Chris and Perkins made a huge contribution with solid scores of 40 and 41,” said Wattana. “We worked really hard this season, and the fact that we didn’t count a 42 and 43 today, both respectable scores, shows how much we improved.” Andover also dominated in the match play segment of competition, taking Exeter by two points in a 4.5-2.5 victory. On Saturday, Andover golf struggled to score despite decent play. “The conditions weren’t the best, and it just seemed as if nobody really had a great round of golf,” said Charlie Pecora ’12. “On all three teams, I don’t think anybody played the best they could have played.” Ho shot a 39, four over par, and the best score of the day, a 38, belonged to Governor’s Academy. Canekeratne, entering at the number two slot, struggled to a 46. Wattana and Perkins both shot 43 while Evan Kudlinski ’13 finished with a 45. Kerrigan proved the bright spot of the day at the number six slot, edging out both his competitors by six strokes en route to shooting a brilliant 40. After the first round of play, Andover was behind of Governor’s Academy by one stroke and ahead of Exeter by the same margin. Andover will look to carry their momentum into Saturday in order to capture both the Witherspoon and the Lovell trophies. Coach Faulk emanated enthusiasm after the round, saying “I am very excited – for the first time in four years we have an excellent shot to reclaim the Witherspoon and Lovell cups. It is really a testament to the outstanding character and play of our kids – this is the most fun I have had coaching a team since I have been here.”
