On Thursday, May 4, the boys varsity golf team got back to competition for the first time since April 26. This time, the boys traveled to GVSU for the 2023 Ranger Invitational. The team was eager to get back on the green and compete after such a long time off. As soon as the match began, it was evident that the boys were a little bit rusty after a while off. Couple this with the stress of AP exams, and the team just seemed a little bit off. On top of this, due to AP exams, junior captain Nicholas Notarnicola was unable to compete in the match.

All of these factors led the team to finish 13th overall, not the mark that they had been looking for. Despite this, the team did have a few highlights. Freshman Matthew Murdock led the team with a score of 81, finishing 2oth overall. Junior captain Philip Murdock also scored in the 80s with an 85, earning him 4oth place overall. Considering the size of this tournament, this was not bad at all.

“Yesterday was tough; everyone was tired from a long week but now we have to bounce back, it didn’t help that Nico was gone because he is normally a counting score, but now we have to bounce back,” Matthew told me.

With not much time left in the season, there is no room for the boys to hang their heads after one bad performance. The team will be working harder than ever now to finish the season at its best.

“Yesterday was a long tough day. We struggled out of the gate and had a hard time finding any rhythm. We are looking forward to bouncing back next week,” says head coach Paul TenEyck.

The Rangers’ next match is on May 10, at 1:30 PM, at Quail Ridge.