GOLF

April has been less than kind to Bill Johnson and his Dartmouth golfers.

Johnson's forces were forced to settle for limited practice—and that on unfamiliar courses—as the winter made 2 slow escape from the Hanover Country) Club fairways and greens.

"Practice is the key to good medal play," said Johnson, and medal play is the name of the game in the Eastern Intercollegiate Golf Association this ring. Gone (with some exceptions) is the match play format so familiar in dual competition for many years.

"We simply didn't have much opportunity for practice," said Johnson on the eve of the season. "You change your approach to the game for medal play you play the course, not an opponent. It requires a lot of practice and we weren't able to get much."

Despite the change in rules, Johnson was virtually as optimistic about this senior-laden team as he was a year ago when he outlined these objectives: (1) an undefeated season, (2) the Ivy League and Eastern Intercollegiate titles, and a visit to the NCAA tournament.

The Indians did all of that and brought a string of 23 straight dual match victories into this season.

The fact that the string of wins was shattered on the first day of the season (by St. Anselm's, 4-3), didn't sway Johnson's optimism.

"Our putting was horrendous," he said after the Indians had bowed in the match at Manchester, N. H.

"As a team, we averaged hitting 14 of the 18 greens in regulation score but then we had 42 three-putt greens and several where our people needed four putts to get down," he said.

Six seniors, led by Captain Marsh Gavre, give the Indians a formidable lineup that is rounded out by sophomore John Lundgren. Both of these golfers lost on the 19th hole against St. Anselm's and victory by either would have reversed the final score.

It was also a case where neither St. Anselm's or Maine (the other team in the match and a 6-1 loser to Dartmouth) were aware of the new medal play format. "We went to play medal and ended up with match play," said Johnson.

The regular season opener makes Dartmouth's 11th-place performance in the Miami Invitational tournament in mid-March seem like ancient history. In that event, the Indians improved their team score by six strokes over 1970.

Gavre and senior Dave Hill were the big guns at Miami. They combine with Jim Cox, Clair Grant, Mike Furey, and Clarke Nims to give Dartmouth a team that is tested in pressure golf situations.