Despite key matches in the bottom of the lineup, Andover Golf failed to maintain its undefeated record last Thursday and fell 7-5 to Belmont Hill.
Evan Kudlinski ’13 performed especially well against Belmont Hill. He executed vital shots including a chip-in on the eighth hole and a 20-foot birdie putt on the last hole.
While the bottom of the team’s lineup played extremely well, the top faltered. Kavan Canekeratne ’14, John Perkins ’13 and Melissa Wattana ’12, the team’s top three golfers, each lost their matches.
Perkins battled through his match and headed into the final hole tied with his opponent. Unfortunately, he was unable to capture the lead and ultimately lost.
“It was a really hard-fought match. Overall, I thought I played a good match, but I really have to hand it to the kid from Belmont Hill; he had the pressure on him and he was able to play a great final hole,” said Perkins.
“I did not play my best golf that day. Although my driving was okay and I hit most of my fairways, my putting was not anywhere near where it needs to be. I wasn’t as confident as I normally am on the green,” said Canekeratne.
The team’s depth has been its savior all year, as its lower seeds consistently come out victorious.
“Belmont Hill has consistently been a tough opponent to face and is among the few teams that can rival ours in terms of depth. Although it was a disappointing loss for our team, I am not disheartened by the result because we were very equally matched, and it just happened that they had a better day than we did,” said Shin-Jae Lee ’13.
Poor weather conditions added pressure as well; the match was delayed after heavy rain and hail, which disrupted the team’s rhythm.
“The cold and rain made the match really tough. It’s hard to go into the clubhouse for an hour and come back out with the same intensity, but what made it tougher was that it was still very cold and wet after we went back out. I had a difficult time trying to grip the club, and the greens and fairways acted a lot differently after the delay,” said Canekeratne.
Andover looks to build on its winning 3-1 record in its match against Holderness this Wednesday.
