Cumberland downs rivals

BELLINGHAM – While his troops already had begun their trip around the front nine at the plush New England Country Club layout during their Northern Division season opener on Monday afternoon, Cumberland High head coach Jim Dickinson indicated he had high hopes for the squad.

“I think we’re going to be pretty decent; we’ve got a lot of returning starters,” he stated from the outdoor patio overlooking the links.

“We finished second to Smithfield in the division last year, and of the six kids we have playing (Monday), three of them have significant match experience from the previous two years.

“Pure and simple, they’ve been there before, so they know what to expect, and that’s only going to help them down the line.”

Perhaps, 75 minutes later, his descriptions came to life, as three Clippers fired six-over 42s to pace their contingent to a 172-206 victory over rival Lincoln. Woonsocket only had one golfer available for a variety of reasons, so the Lions did salvage one win on Opening Day.

For the Villa Novans, junior Dylan Klein closed with a 54.

The trio of juniors leading the way for CHS included Sean Meers, Derek Rivard and Jackson Shevlin, while sophomore Carlo Lemme settled for a 46.

“Like I said, I expect them to contend against anyone every time they tee it up,” Dickinson said.

With the triumphs, the Clippers opened the campaign just the way they had hoped.

“I played alright,” Meers stated after his round. “My putting was a little rough; I had played a practice round here on Saturday and the greens were a little slower, so it was hard to connect on my putts. I think I had three three-putt greens, which is way too many.

“I still feel good about the round because I can see the improvement from last year to this year,” he added. “I’m picking better shots to make and connecting on those. I have to say I’m happiest about my iron game and chipping.”

As for Rivard, he explained he started his round rather well – he bogeyed the 497-yard par-five first hole, but then managed a birdie three on the 357-yard par-four second. He continued with a par and bogey, so was one over moving to the fifth, a 490-yard par five.

Rivard, however, was not pleased with shooting five-over par over the final five holes.

“I was hitting really good shots, but I wasn’t getting rewarded for them,” he stated. “I nearly drove two greens, the third and the eighth, but I had to settle for pars. I double-bogeyed the seventh (a 386-yard par four), which was sad. I was 100 yards out, and left a wedge shot five yards off th green, but it took me four to get down.

“On the eighth, I hit a great drive, five yards short of the right-side bunker, and hit a pitch 10 feet past the hole, but missed the putt. I also nearly birdied the ninth (352-yard par four), so – the way I look at it – I should’ve been under par.”

Unlike his teammate Rivard, Shevlin couldn’t argue with a round of 42 in his first match of the campaign.

“I’m happy with it; naturally I would’ve been happier with a 39 or 40, but I’ll take it,” he noted. “I bird- ied the third, and I had two pars with five bogeys. I have to say I started rotten, with a double-bogey on the first, which upset me greatly.

“I admit I had to work hard to relax and calm down, but then everything sort of fell into line,” he continued. “After the way he played here (Monday), I think we can win the division. We’ve got some depth, some great coaching and a lot of experience coming back.”

Surprisingly, usually strong Lincoln may be in a rebuilding mode this spring. Junior Jack Lowrey mustered a 13-over 49, while classmates Nate Kumar, Brett Bessette and Samantha Jarry came in at 50, 52 and 55, respectively.

“It was a tough day out there,” head coach Nick Maresca said. “Our No. 1 had to withdraw with a pulled muscle in his back, and we have some inexperience, despite the fact we have a lot of juniors. I’m just looking for us to better from here.”

As for the Novans, chief Chad Lamoureux has high expectations, despite the fact he couldn’t field a full squad.

“I’ve got a full lineup, but for the first match of the season, it figures – I’ve got one kid with a shoulder injury, one kid who’s ineligible for this match and another in Florida on an extended spring vacation,” he stated. “Still, once I get all those guys back in the fold, I think we’re going to surprise some people.

“We had one kid come out for the first time this year, he’s a junior named Lorenzo Frisbee, and he shoots in the mid-40s,” he added. “Jared Rivard, a hockey player, is finding his niche on the golf course. He’s been in the low 50s, but he’s improving every day.

“We’re going to give it our best shot at making the state (team) tournament.”

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