Golf: Both squads set their sights on league championships

The Tigers will head to the Atlantic City Country Club in Northfield, N.J., and take on the rest of the Ancient Eight’s golf teams in the Ivy League Championship.

Both the men and the women have a history of doing well in the event. The men’s team has won 19 of the 34 championships that have been played since the creation of the league tournament in 1975. And it last won in 2006, when the seniors on this year’s team, Max Schechter and Drew Maliniak, were freshmen. Maliniak is a staff writer for The Daily Princetonian.

“Obviously we would like to finish up our Princeton golf careers as Ivy champions,” Schechter said. “But we are not putting any extra pressure on ourselves just because we haven’t won it the last two years. We tee it up in every tournament hoping to win, and this weekend is no different. We’re just trying to look at it as any other round of golf.”

The tournament will take place over three days, each one consisting of one round of 18-hole championship golf. A year ago, Columbia took the title with an inspired performance on the final day of the tournament, and this year, Princeton will seek to dethrone the Lions. Yale, Penn and Harvard are the other teams capable of unseating Columbia.

This season hasn’t been the best of seasons for the men’s golf team, but the Tigers have picked up momentum recently. At the Princeton Invitational two weeks ago, the Tigers finished seventh out of 14 teams.

“After every tournament, we all look back at our rounds and determine what it is that we did well and what we did poorly,” Schechter said. “Last weekend, we hit the ball well but missed a lot of putts. During practice this week, we worked especially hard on our short games and, in particular, putting so that we can capitalize on birdie opportunities and keep rounds going with par saves.”

Sophomore Eric Salazar led the men’s team at the Princeton Invitational. Salazar shot an even-par 71 on the first day before losing some momentum on Sunday, as did many of the other golfers at the tournament. Salazar posted a round of 79 on Sunday and finished the individual competition in eighth place.

The men’s team is capable of continuing its recent strong play at the Ivy League Championships. Focus and poise will be the keys to executing.

“We need to be relaxed and play confidently,” Schechter said. “We have the talent to win, and all we need to do is stay calm and focused. The strategy this week is no different than any other: Keep the ball in play off the tee, give yourself easy pars and a few birdie opportunities, and avoid big numbers. If we play well, I like our chances.”

On the women’s side, the Tigers will be gunning for their first title since the 2004-05 season. Led by reigning individual champion and first-team All-Ivy selection senior Susannah Aboff — who, at last year’s Ivy League Championships, became the first Tiger since Avery Kiser ’05 to win an Ivy medal — Princeton has been the highest finishing Ivy League team in all of its tournaments this season except one.

The Tigers’ one loss came against Harvard, the team some see as the league favorite. The Crimson defeated Princeton by two strokes at Princeton’s home invitational during the fall. Princeton got its revenge last weekend at the Roar-EE Invitational hosted by Columbia. The Tigers defeated Harvard by six shots on their way to winning the event.

Prior to finishing first at the Roar-EE Invitational, Princeton finished second in two consecutive tournaments. The Tigers have finished worse than second in only three of the eight tournaments they have taken part in so far this season.