Photo courtesy of Max Boyko ’28
The EA boys’ varsity golf team seems unstoppable. Led by senior captains Freddy Hartmann ’27, Liam Crowley ’27, and Arthur Hampel ’27, the team is currently sitting in first place in the league, right above Haverford. Several key factors have driven their impressive 9-1 record
According to Hartmann, one of the biggest reasons the golf team is succeeding is the team’s chemistry. Many of the players have been part of the golf program for years, and being around each other for so long has helped the team become close both on and off the course.
“We’re fortunate enough to have a group of guys that’s been with the program for a long time,” says Hartmann. “We’re very close-knit. We’ve kind of fostered that culture throughout the years, and I think that allows us to have a lot of trust in each other and just play well as a team.”
Next to chemistry, another strong attribute of the team this year has been its depth. Instead of depending on just a few players to have a good day, different players have stepped up throughout the season. Hartmann highlighted Max Leung ’28, who was the team’s low scorer in an Inter-Ac match on Tuesday. “Having that deep roster means a lot; it gives us reassurance knowing that anyone can step up and shoot a low score on any given day,” Hartmann noted.
According to Tucker Dempsey ’28, another player who has stepped up this season is Jack Gioffre ’28. Like Leung, Gioffre led EA to victory in their opening event: a highlight Giofree calls his “favorite moment of the season so far.”
A memorable moment occurred during the first match of the season, when the team set a school record for an all-time team low. Hartmann comments, “That moment kind of gave us a sense of what we were capable of. We’ve just been riding that momentum and trying to get to that level of, ‘Okay, we know that we can do this, now let’s do it every time.”
Another cause of the team’s success this season has been its leadership. Under the guidance of head coach Brendan FitzPatrick and the captains, veteran players have set a strong example for underclassmen.
The lead-by-example mentality is clear across the team. Giofree explains, “I think competing with kids on our team, especially the captains, allows you to pick up how they act throughout the round, how they deal with a bad shot, and how they respond to adversity. So I think you can just kind of pick up responses to how they face challenges.”
Photo courtesy of Coach Brendan Fitzpatrick
Beyond the team’s amazing chemistry, depth, and leadership from captains and upperclassmen, their success also comes from pure talent. The team does not regularly get to practice together as other sports do, so there is a lot of reliance on each person’s individual skill. When asked about what has caused the team’s success this year, Dempsey says, “I mean, there’s always the factor that just everyone on the team is pretty good, and because of that, we all push each other to be the best that we can be at every event, practice round, and lift. So we all really enjoy just competing with each other.”
While this season has been spectacular for a number of reasons, it is not without its share of challenges, one of them being their loss to Haverford. The loss was particularly tough at an EA-hosted event, but adversity is part of any athletic season. Dempsey offered insight on how the team handles high-pressure moments, especially amidst challenges like these.
“You just have to control what you can control,” says Dempsey. ‘Know that you can’t control what happens. You might get a bad break or get a bad lip out or something. But if you can just stay calm and make sure that you’re doing the best that you can, then you’ll succeed.”
This mentality, along with their experienced leaders, amazing depth, wonderful chemistry, and sheer talent, has made the golf team an overwhelming success so far this season. With momentum on their side, the team now shifts its focus toward securing the Inter-Ac championship.