“Being undefeated doesn’t meanbeing perfect,” senior golfer Ronald Radoc said as he reflected on what theboys’ golf team learned this season. The confident Cardinals stepped up to thetee boxes on May 11, unaware that they were about to relive last year’snightmare at the championships.

On this difficult day, five hoursof golfing in the screeching wind had left the players with pink-nosedfrostbites. However, it was not the wind but the frustration in the Cardinals’hearts that cooled the team when the Eagles rejoiced over a marginal two-strokevictory. The team had finished with 477, a hair-length away from beating theWashington’s impressive 475.

Theteam was unaccustomed to playing 18 holes, due to the fact that practicing18-hole matches would take up to six hours each time, so fatigue affected theteam’s game during the championships, according to Radoc.

The result waslargely determined by the team’s mental game, according to coach MitchellWagner. “I don’t think our boys did bad, Washington just played a better game,”he said. “Our ego was inflated and we underestimated our opponents.”

TheCardinal loss was a hard blow for the team. "We watched Washington getbetter and better throughout the season," Wagner said. "But we stayedthe same."

Yet strongup-and-coming players brought hope to the team in the individual tournament.Cardinal freshman golfer Tom Ebergen tied for second with a score of 85,showing much potential for next year, though Washington, who had lost to theCardinals twice in the regular season, carried home the gold as underdogs.Junior golfer Patrick Berg finished not far behind with 87 strokes. Otherplayers, including sophomore golfer Edwin Mak and senior captain Aaron Chin,placed in the top ten with scores in the low 90s.

Sincethe win against Washington and Wallenburg on April 28, the team went on to beatlast year’s champ, Wallenburg, for a third time in the playoffs. Meanwhile,Washington barely clinched a spot in the championships, scoring merely fivestrokes under third-placed Lincoln.

Despitethe season’s abrupt ending, the team’s 14-1 record definitely deservesapplause. As a team, its score has improved from the 230s to the 220s, with arecord score of 218. At the championships, the team shot 20 strokes better thanlast year, despite losing two seniors from the previous year, according tojunior golfer Max MacKenzie.

After the shock, the loss made theCardinals jump back onto their feet, determined to redeem themselves. “You cannever master a sport unless you lose once,” Radoc said.

Most Valuable Player

TheLowell’s choice for MVP is senior golferAaron Chin. As team captain, Chin proved to be a true role model, holding theteam together with a humble and encouraging attitude. “He remains level-headedand steady in matches,” Wagner said. “And he is always the first one to get topractice.” According to Wagner, Chin’s strength lies in his ball-striking andlong distance shots while he continues to work on his short game. Chin’sleadership has guided the team through a successful season.

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