Golf Against Andover and Belmont Hill
By: Michael Yang, Nat Kpodonu
The Academy’s varsity golf team opened the season with a tri-cup against Phillips Andover Academy and Belmont Hill School. Big Red won 6-1 in their first match against Andover at Indian Ridge Country Club, and tied 3.5-3.5 in their second game against Belmont.
Senior golfer Will Huang, the number one seed for the team, explained the structure of the matches. “We played in threesomes with the number one seed from Exeter against the number one seeds from both Andover and Belmont Hill so there were no teammates within the same group.”
Assistant Head Coach Gordon Coole explained the matches from a coach’s perspective. “Unlike most other sports, in golf almost all the coaching happens before the match begins and very little during the actual playing of the match. In my role which focuses more on the body’s ability to move correctly coupled with the best mindset, I offer words of encouragement from teachings of positivity, motivation, mindfulness, habit formation, and behavior change methods. Helping players get their mind right and keep it there is a good summary,” Coole said. The less-than-optimal conditions the pandemic has forced upon the team has made coaching difficult, but the team has worked hard to maintain their skills.
Coole commented on the unconventional structure of the tournament, “To a point, it depends on if it is match play or stroke play, but basically it’s just playing a game of golf. It doesn’t really look any different than if you and I were out playing a round.”
Senior Robbie Herzig said, “We had the opportunity to play some real golf at Apple Hill Golf Club a few times, which was very helpful preparation. Besides that, we would go to Sagamore to use the range.”
Upper CJ Drapeau noted the golf team’s training schedule. “We had worked with Coach Fischel in the gym twice a week leading up to the match and four times a week at the course, so we have had good preparation this pre-season,” Drapeau said.
Huang continued, “Our home course just opened up the week of the match so we were able to go out and play on a real golf course to get back into shape. Other than that, we’ve been working hard on our games and were pretty confident going in.”
Before playing the season opener, the golf team greatly anticipated the games. “There was definitely an excited atmosphere going in. It’s been so long since we’ve all competed and we just wanted to get out of that and play some golf. We’ve all been itching to get out there so we were definitely ready for the first tee shot,” Huang said.
“We haven’t played any competitive golf for Exeter since spring of 2019, so it felt really nice to be able to play as a team again,” Herzig said.
Coole added, “It was great to get out on a course in a competitive way versus a practice round. The challenges, both as individuals and as a team, were good to witness and be a part of.”