The Saint Anselm men’s golf team finishes 3rd in a hard fought NE10 Championship. All players played very good rounds of golf at Twin Hills Country Club in Longmeadow, Massachusetts.
Sophomore Anthony Picano was the Hawks’ team leader after carding 2-over 73 in the 1st round to tie for 3rd place. He put up 3 birdies and 2 bogeys on the day. The Hawks cruised right into the tournament ready to swing for the pin. They were ranked 6th in the overall tournament, which seemed to motivate them to finish higher on the list.
Golf is not an easy sport, as it’s all mental. These Hawks seemed to stay calm, cool, and collected. During a brief interview with co-captain Lucas Dascoli, he was asked what the team chemistry is like and what it takes being the team. He said that they are very close as a team, just like the rest of the Saint A’s athletic teams. “We’re always there for each other,” he said. “We always focus on the tournament every year.”
The NE10 is always something to look forward to every year, and finishing first is always a big goal for the golf team. The two day tournament brings 10 golf teams from all around. Anthony Picano seemed to play like he was Arnold Palmer, posting his best collegiate finish. In the final round of the tournament, he secured 3rd place with a posting of a 2 under 69, ending even par.
Other accolades go to junior Michael Papamechali and Lucas Dascoli, who finished tied for 11th place in Saint Anselm. Papamechali had 2 birdies in round 3, while Dascoli got an eagle on the first hole.
Senior co-captain Robbie Forti ended the championship with a 12 over 225 while being tied for 18th place, tallying 4 birdies and 4 bogeys in the last 18 holes of the tournament. Other senior co-captain Drew Semons finished things off with a 6 over 77 while being tied for 23rd place on the final day. “We played solid golf for 54 holes,” said head coach Shaun Bishop. “This group is trending in a very positive direction. We’ve earned up some finishes ahead of teams ranked ahead of us. We’ll be working hard for the remainder of the fall and the offseason, and will look to keep this momentum heading into the spring.”
Though the Adelphi team won the team championship, and Assumption won the individual tournament, the Hawks look to head into the next spring ready to roll. They hope they can turn 3rd place into 1st place.
During a brief interview with Anthony Picano, he was asked a few questions on what the season was like. “We’re very close as a team – everyone returns every year.” He also mentioned how the teams first two tournaments were cut short due to rain and how it made the team a little restless.
If you were to ask any professional golfer if golf is more mental than physical, most of them would probably say it’s mostly mental. When playing the game, one has to be very focused, and that is one the reasons why Saint A’s gold team got where they are today. They have good mental preparations and are a very focused team.
As the temperature begins to drop, and golf courses start to close for the season, the Hawks’ golf team will go to their nest for the winter and rest for next year, ready to swing their clubs for the green. We can expect big things coming for them in the coming years.
