The Boys’ Varsity Golf team won its first eleven matches before losing a very close match to Deerfield on May 7. This impressive start to the season positions the team as one of the best in New England and opens the door to achieving exceptional results. Led by coach Robert DeMarco and captain Alex Cohen ‘08, the team started off very strong and is looking to win New Englands this season.
There are several keys to success for this team. One is the pre-match ritual as described by John Shilling ‘09. Shilling said the pre-match emails sent out by Captain Cohen, listening to “No Air” on the bus ride to the course, and seeing horses in the fields they drive by were rituals that he felt have led to the team’s success. Phil Risman ’08 attributed the team’s success to the positive attitude brought by the younger members of the squad. Risman also said, “We outline the course, plan our shots, make decisions as a team, and think about how to approach the our rounds in a safe, positive way.” Because of the scoring method, if one player is having a bad day, the other five golfers are able pick up the slack, which allows them to win the match.
Coach DeMarco said that one of the reasons for the team’s success is the amount of talent on the roster, and that “some consistent good play from a couple of players that have off-set any good numbers the other team has put up.” According to Coach DeMarco, certain players, including Will Laverack ‘11, Jack Kazickas ‘10, Phil Risman ‘08, and John Shilling ’09, have especially contributed to the team’s success.
For the first time in recent memory, the Choate boy’s golf team had two players, Will Laverack ’11 and Phil Risman ’08, score under par on Saturday, May 3, at Loomis Chaffee. The team has also had many golfers who have posted the lowest score, or medaled, in the match.
What sets this team apart from previous golf teams at Choate is what Coach DeMarco described as “camaraderie.” Coach DeMarco said that one thing that helped the team go 11-0 was the support the team members gave each other: “They pick each other up. If they are not having a good day, they know the other guys are backing them up.” Risman said, “By far this is the youngest squad we’ve had [in the past three years].” Because of its youth, Risman believed, the whole team is very supportive, no matter how each player has played that day. Another thing that Risman mentioned that separates this team from others is that, even when the team lost to Deerfield on Wednesday, May 7, “everyone was positive and saying, ‘Don’t worry guys, we’ll see them at KITs (Golf’s New England’s).”
This year also has had an addition to the practice and pre-match routine. Coach DeMarco said, “We have tried to practice a little more by hitting balls, chipping and putting this year.” Coach DeMarco believed that this extra work contributed to the 11-0 start. Since the team has had greater access to the course, it has been able to practice more on the course than before. Risman said that a new feature this year is the team’s showing up to the course earlier in order practice before the round. Risman described this new feature as allowing the team to “get going before we throw it out there on the course.”
This start has led the golf team to the top of the rankings in New England. The team took the loss to Deerfield in stride and is already looking ahead to playing them at KITs. The Choate team has some young, aspiring golfers, who are driving towards success for the rest of the season.
