The Marblehead golf team (6-0) prevailed over Peabody (2-4) at Tedesco Country Club Tuesday afternoon, winning 50-22. This was the second meeting between the two sides with the Magicians also earning the win earlier this season, 44-28.
“I think our guys played well. It was a tough day with the wind,” Marblehead coach Bob Green said. “There were a lot of tough winds because a lot of the holes here are crosswind and only the third hole and sort of the seventh hole play with the wind. It was a tough day for everybody.”
Peabody coach Peter Cronan labeled Marblehead as one of the best teams in the Northeastern Conference.
“Marblehead, from what I’ve seen so far, is one of the best teams in the Northeast Conference,” he said. “I thought we would do a little better point-wise, but we still got 22 points.”
Leading the way for the Magicians were Marty Ryan who shot a 35, Charlie Grenier (37), and Simon Quicken (38). Matt Mahan and Toby Grenier both shot 40s, while Jacob Hershfield finished with a 41.
“The depth definitely helps. Everyone has good top-of-the-order players,” Green said. “Between my top four, they got 24 points with three of them winning the matches. Our six, seven, and eight guys rounded it out for us. James Bickell scored 6.5 points, Matt Mahan 7 points, and Toby Grenier got 8 points. That put us over the top.”
Peabody’s Tristan Joyce and Cameron Connolly had strong days, according to Cronan.
“I was really happy for Tristan Joyce who won his match 5.5-3.5,” Cronan said. “The last time we played Marblehead, he lost pretty badly so I’m happy to see him come out on top. Tristan is a really good player. He has a great swing. Sometimes, he lacks confidence at times, but swing-wise and playability-wise, he can play with any other two or three players and be competitive with them.”
“Cameron Connolly played as the five today and halved his match after going down 4-0 after the first four holes,” Cronan said. “He kept it together and finished strong.”
For the Magicians, despite the crosswinds, Marty Ryan was dialed in from the start.
“An incredibly good score considering the conditions. He even had a double bogey. To shoot one-over-par – which includes a double bogey – was great to see,” Green said. “Even for Mahan and Toby Grenier to both shoot 40 is terrific. They both hung in there and played well.”
Depth has been key for the Magicians all season, something Green enjoys having at his disposal.
“I got four players that can be number one on most teams. It’s a great thing to have,” he said. “I told them before our first match that they all could be number one, but the beauty is they’re not because we have a good team. It’s about the team winning every match.”
Despite the loss, Cronan said he can see improvement from his group.
“I see an improvement, especially in the short game. I feel we are getting up and down onto the greens a lot more consistently than we did a few weeks ago,” Cronan said. “That’s where the score adds up. It’s been a huge improvement in their games.”
Cronan also praised his captain for his hard work.
“Matt Ryder lost today 2-7, but he competes every time at every hole. He’s a grinder,” Cronan said. “I think the difference today was that the conditions hurt him. He naturally hits a high ball, so with the wind, it affects his ball more than usual.”