Oakmont tees up new golf coach, as baseball champ Caouette takes over Spartans
Tim Caouette is a baseball guy, but he’s been bitten by the golf bug. Caouette, who directed the Oakmont Spartans to the Division 3 state baseball championship in June with their dream run all the way to the title game at Polar Park, has succeeded longtime coach Kevin Descarreaux as the varsity golf coach.
“I’m passionate about golf and play at Gardner Municipal a lot during the summer, and now I get to spend more time there in the fall with my team,” said Caouette, a former Assumption University baseball catcher. “Golf is the only sport I still compete in, and I love it.”
Asked about baseball and golf commonalities, Caouette said, “In both sports, you have periods of time where there is no action, followed by periods of intense action.”
The Spartans lost their first two matches, but bounced back with intense action in victories over Shepherd Hill and Fitchburg last week at the Gardner course.
“We’re getting better,” Caouette said. “I tell my kids all the time that golf is hard and there are days when you can really be on and then there are those off days.”
Junior Max Doane, who was low medalist with a 37 at Groton CC in the season opener, leads the captain contingency, followed by senior Owen Raymond, who has posted scores in the low 40s so far, and senior Colin O’Neil, an outfielder on the Spartans’ state championship baseball team.
Playing in spots four through six and improving with every practice and match are junior Tommy Prendergast, senior Luke Tzilkowski and sophomore Layton Martioski.
Spartans make Ryder Cup picks
Unlike his fellow captains, Oakmont’s O’Neil thinks Team Europe will have the winning formula in the upcoming Ryder Cup Matches. “I’m picking Europe,” O’Neil said. “They’ve got some superstars like Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm.”
Doane, however, disagrees: “I think the U.S. team will win because they’re a much deeper team in talent. It will be close, but the U.S. will prevail.”
Raymond closed out the conversation with his own unique opinion about the outcome of the prestigious biennial golfing event: “Here’s my take. I went to my doctor last week. He couldn’t find DNA or even RNA. All he could find was USA. There’s your winner.”
—Contact Jay Gearan at sports@telegram.com.
This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Oakmont turns to championship coach to help golf program
