Andover Golf suffered a disappointing loss to powerhouse rival Deerfield on May 4, losing 9-3, but the team went on to defeat BB&N and played strongly in the second leg of a three way competition with Exeter and Governor’s. Ellie Blum ’15 and Casey Durant ’14 also participated in a girls tournament on Tuesday. Deerfield’s eight players were experienced, skilled and simply tough to beat. Even with focused games from all the Andover players, only Blum and Durant were able to garner any points, while the other six Andover players lost their matches. “Huge props to Durant and Blum for bringing home three points from the five and six positions. They’ve played well together all season, and Casey has really brought the best out of her playing partners all year,” said Evan Kudlinski ’13. Durant won 2 and 1 and Blum won 3 and 2. Together the duo also won their best ball match 2 and 1. The whole team faced challenges from a consistent and experienced Deerfield team. All Andover’s matches were determined by only a few shots. Tyler Tsay ’15 and Co-Captain Shin-Jae Lee ’13 both lost 2 and 1. Kavan Canekeratne ’14, Co-Captain John Perkins ’13, and Kudlinski lost 5 and 4. Billy Casagrande ’15 lost 3 and 2. “As a whole, the team played pretty well and kept it together…We prepared and played well as a team, but the putts that needed to fall didn’t come,” said Perkins. Though he eventually lost his match, Canekeratne fought hard on the closing stretch against an experienced Deerfield opponent. He was four down with four holes to play, meaning a tie or loss on any hole would be the end of his match. “Kavan made a series of clutch putts from 5 to 8 feet to extend the match, showcasing the kind of toughness and determination it takes to win,” said Kudlinski. On Friday, May 10, Andover took on BB&N, sweeping the match 8-1. At Andover’s home course, Indian Ridge, all eight Andover players won their singles matches. Blum and Durant competed at a girls tournament on May 13. Traveling to Canton, Massachusetts for the match, both girls placed in the top 15 and were awarded trophies for their wins. Blum and Durant both performed excellently considering the difficulty of the course and not being able to warm up. “We both had a really great time. We were both hoping to score a little lower, but it was a tough course. It was a really deep field of girls that played, so we were proud of how we played,” said Blum. Andover played the second leg of a three-way competition with Exeter and Governor’s this past Wednesday. The second leg was remarkably more difficult than the first; it rained throughout the match and the greens were very difficult. Despite the conditions, Tsay fired a 37 on the tricky course. Canekeratne shot a 38, Perkins shot a 40, Kudlinski shot a 42 and Blum shot a 46. “This weekend we just need to play consistent golf and maintain the lead that we have attained through the first two legs of the competition for the Lovell and Witherspoon cups,” said Perkins. The team extended its lead by widening the gap in points against the two schools in the second leg. Andover is currently leading Governor’s by 10 strokes and Exeter by 19 strokes. Andover concludes its season with the third and final leg of the three-way match against Exeter and Governor’s on Saturday. “Hopefully we can continue to hold onto our substantial lead and end the season by recapturing the Lovell Cup and Witherspoon Bowl,” said Perkins. Reassuring wins against BB&N and a successful showing in the girls tournament bolstered the team’s confidence to finish its season strongly. “I think we’ll be able to carry this strong play forward to close out the season… It’s important that we stay focused for the rest of the season. I think we will,” added Kudlinski.
