M., w. golf head to Ivy Championships

If spring ever decides to roll back the rain clouds and shed a little sunshine on New Jersey, this weekend the men's and women's golf teams will compete in the most important tournament of their season — the Ivy League Championships. Weather permitting, Ivies will provide both Tiger squads the opportunity to display their talents on the NCAA stage.

The men's team, which finished its regular season with a convincing win at the Princeton Invitational, will head to Metedeconk Golf Club for the tournament this weekend. In Jackson, the Tigers' toughest Ivy competition will most likely come from Yale and Penn. Columbia, which has had an impressive spring, also poses a substantial threat to Tiger success.

After defeating both Penn and Columbia last weekend, however, Princeton will have an extra boost of confidence heading into the tournament.

"I like our chances, particularly after this weekend's performance," head coach Will Green said. "But there are some very good players in our league this year, so we can't allow ourselves to become too confident."

The Tigers do have a very good chance to emerge as Ivy royalty, but they will have to work for it. Not only is the competition tough, but the course itself will be a challenge for the players. With strategically placed bunkers, difficult water hazards and notoriously tricky greens, the team will have to take their time and make every stroke count.

"We're going to focus our attention more on the course than on the competition," Green said. "If we can play solidly and patiently, avoiding mistakes and taking advantage of opportunities when they present themselves, we have a good chance of winning."

Though the Tigers were hoping to tie up any loose ends this week in practice, the weather has not really allowed them the preparation they had hoped for going into Ivies. The players have been traveling to a local covered driving range while they wait out the storm. Nevertheless, after last week's win the team is in the best shape it has been in all year, and hopes are high.

"Our goal is to win and win by a lot," sophomore star Jason Gerken said. "Ideally, we'll play well over 36 holes on Saturday and put the tournament out of reach for Sunday and have several players make All-Ivy."

"I like our chances this weekend, but you just never know with golf," junior Creighton Page added. "Once we get out on the course, it doesn't matter who is the favorite and who has played well up until now. Anyone can win. We have to bring our 'A' game if we want to realize this dream."

Women hope for NCAAs

The women's team has similar goals in mind as it heads to Trenton to compete in the Ivy League Championships and to battle for a spot at NCAAs.

Though the Tigers came in fourth place in their most recent tournament at James Madison University, they beat out a lot of tough competition, including traditional rival Yale, who had dealt Princeton an embarrassing blow the prior weekend.

The win over Yale demonstrated that the Tigers were indeed ready to head into Ivies as a fierce competitor and raised the team's spirits.

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Also, with players of all years delivering noteworthy performances at JMU, Princeton demonstrated its team depth, which will undoubtedly be a useful weapon in the upcoming tournaments.

"I'm really pleased with the depth of the team," freshman Sharla Cloutier said. "Knowing that every girl on the team can post a solid number on any given day makes it easier for everyone to shoot lower scores."

If all the players come out strong this weekend and take the course one stroke at a time, they have a good shot at Ivy success. The key will be consistency and big plays from the team's big swingers.

With simple strategies and focusing on the fundamentals, both teams will be ready to take on their Ivy foes in the biggest tournament of their 2004 seasons. And, with hope, their Ivy performances could merit a trip to NCAAs and a bid at the national title.