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04/30/2022 12:00 AMAfter losing its first two matches of the year, the Hand boys’ golf team bounced back in a big way last week. The Tigers posted victories over Hamden and Amity to even their record at 2-2 on the season and then capped off their week by taking first place at an invitational meet.
Hand returns to the links on the heels of a 2021 campaign that saw the Tigers win their second-straight state title after going 15-0 in the regular season. Head Coach Jim Holleran saw his squad get off to a bit of a slow start this year, but viewed last week’s two victories as a turning point for the Tigers.
“I think we are off to a somewhat slow start this season, but I have seen some signs of improvement lately. We have been on the road for every match, and we have played in some difficult conditions, but there are some better scores being recorded,” Coach Holleran said. “We lost three talented seniors from last year when we went undefeated during the regular season and won the Division II state title. This is a new year with many new players. I don’t really compare teams. I just work with the team to try to get the best out of them.”
Hand opened its week by claiming a 173-184 road victory over Hamden at Laurel View Country Club on April 25. Junior captain Reece Scott led the way for the Tigers by shooting a 42 for the afternoon, earning medalist honors as the low scorer of the meet. Freshman Matt McManus shot a 44, junior Matt Gagliardi finished with a 45, and senior captain David Ginsburg and sophomore Kasimir Lesnik both scored a 45 for Coach Holleran’s club.
“I think we are improving, but we have a lot of room for more improvement as the season moves along. I have the expectation that the team and each player on the team improves as the season progresses,” said Holleran. “Right now, we have not put up any good scores, but I do expect that to change in the next week. We just need each player to put the time and effort into improvement.”
Three days later after defeating Hamden, the Tigers took on Amity for another road meet and defeated the Spartans by a 179-182 score at The Tradition Golf Club at Oak Lane. Scott was the co-medalist of the match by posting a score of 40. Gagliardi scored a 41, McManus finished with a 46, and Ginsburg carded a 52 to help Hand get its second win of the year.
“The Amity match was played under very cold and windy conditions. Reece Scott has stepped up in the last two matches to be medalist and co-medalist,” Holleran said. “Matt Gagliardi had his best round of this young season with a 41 versus Amity. I think Reece will continue his strong play, and Matt is getting back on track for what I suspect will be a strong season. Freshman Matt McManus has contributed in both of our wins, and his best play is definitely in his future.”
On April 29, the The Tigers finished in first place at the inaugural Walter Lowell Invitational at Blue Fox Run Golf Course in Avon. Hand recorded a team score of 328 points to place ahead of the seven other teams at the meet. Scott earned medalist honors with a low score of 77 for his 18-hole round. Gagliardi shot an 80, Lesnik carded an 84, and Ginsburg finished with an 87.
The Tigers had limited time together on the golf course prior to the beginning of the season. That’s one of the reasons why Coach Holleran felt that his squad struggled early on this spring.
“We are practicing and focusing on chipping and putting in order to improve scores. We also talk about course management and preventing the double and triple bogeys that ruin a scorecard,” said Holleran. “I have seen a couple of players finding their games and posting better scores in the past week.”
Hand’s roster for the 2022 season also features senior Charlie McIntyre; juniors Jonathan Dolph and Owen Stuart; sophomores Cameron Becker, Max Singewald, and Nicholas Osterling; and freshman Michael Marino.
“They are a very nice group of young men. The captains, Dave and Reece, are doing a tremendous job with their communication to the team members,” said Holleran. “I’m looking forward to seeing guys improve every day in practice. One of the biggest things we need to work on is our short game. We need to get better with chipping and putting. It’s very important, but players need to put time into it.”