It’s safe to say the weather conditions this spring have not exactly been conducive to outdoor events.
At the risk of sounding like a broken record, that is especially true when it comes to golf.
The sport has been plagued by rain which has led to soggy fairways and little roll.
Early season course prep, such as aeration of the greens, has made putting a challenge as well.
Given those challenges, Woodstock Academy coach Rich Garceau has been happy to see his team persevere thus far.
The Centaurs played two matches at Quinnatisset Country Club last week and posted a 5-2 win over Norwich Free Academy and opened their Eastern Connecticut Conference Division II play with a 3 ½ - 3 ½ tie against Waterford.
“The course conditions because of the rain we have dealt with this spring have been difficult,” Garceau said. “We are dealing with plugged balls and little to no roll off the tees.  It can be mentally exhausting playing in these conditions.  The boys are doing a great job adjusting.”
Senior Mason Stewart has been plugging along despite the obstacles.
He broke 40 for a first time this season against the Wildcats, leading the Centaurs with a 3-over par 39 and followed that up by going one stroke better in the tie with the Lancers.
“Mason Stewart is my old war horse.  He put up that 2-over against Waterford (April 25) but in many ways struggled to get around the course.  He scrambled more than once to get up and down but never gave up.  He fought the course all the way around but his performance really helped us avoid the loss,” Garceau said.
Garceau has been at the helm of the Centaurs for 16 years.
He has only been a part of two ties, something he admittedly does not enjoy see happen.
But he almost expected it.
“Coming in, their scoring average was a mere six-tenths of a stroke difference from the Woodstock scoring average.  When you divide that out by the four scores we use in a match, a tie was always a real possibility.  I told our guys the day before the Waterford match to expect a 9-hole fight to take a win,” Garceau said.
Ryan Sadosky, Waterford’s No. 1 player, could easily wind up as the Eastern Connecticut Conference champ.
He fired an even-par 36 at the Centaurs while the Lancers No.3 player, Caroline Petchark, who wanted to return to playing on the boys’ team this season after playing on the girls side last year (the Lancers are not fielding a girls’ golf team this season) added a 42. Petchark will play Division II golf for Eckard College in Florida next season.
The Centaurs (2-1-1, 0-0-1 ECC Division II) hung tough as their No. 2 man, Owen Borski, carded a 42 and won his match with Waterford’s Nick Hynes (47). Robert Mahue recorded a birdie and finished with a 44 to split his match with Joe Lathrop and freshman Kyle Brennan, who finished with a 9-over 45, downed Danny Torres.
The two teams finished even in aggregate score, 169 strokes each, to finish in the tie.
“It was a fun match to witness,” Garceau said. “I am always looking for improvement, regardless of our win/loss record.  We bested our best score of the season by 10 strokes and doing that on a wet course just shows the improvement of our golfers.”
The scores were a little higher against NFA.
Jake Starr followed Stewart with a 46 while both Borski and Brennan finished with 47s.
Girls’ Capture 2nd Win
The Woodstock Academy girls’ golf team was back on the road in their only match of the week.
The Centaurs first home match will be May 3 against Auburn, Mass., at Quinnatisset.
Kailey LaChappelle fired a 49 and Maria Santucci finished with a 53 to lead the Centaurs to a 210-232 win over Bacon Academy at the Chanticlair Golf Club April 24.
Katherine Harrington and Linda St. Laurent both pitched in with 54s for Woodstock Academy (2-0, 2-0 ECC).
Marc Allard
Sports Information Director
The Woodstock Academy

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