St. John's has the depth, talent to remain among favorites for Division 1 golf championship
Winning the state championship is always the goal for the St. John’s golf team, coached by Sean Noonan, now in his 10th season guiding the Pioneers.
Twice in Noonan’s tenure they’ve come very close to winning it all, including a runner-up finish at the Division 1 state tournament a year ago.
Back on the golf course for the 2023 season, St. John’s jumped to a 2-0 record last week with a one-shot win over defending state champs BC High, followed by a convincing victory over Algonquin.
“We return six varsity players from last year’s team, so we have a great crew coming back,” Noonan said. “We’re a close-knit group with young golfers who have played a lot of good competition over the summer.”
Among the 13 on the varsity are the four senior captains: Nic Gebhardt, Tim Breen, Matt Lemay and Veer Bhasin, all praised by Noonan for their remarkable leadership.
“Last year we had a very good season, winning the Catholic Conference and the Central Mass. championship, and this year we’re hoping to bring home the state championship trophy,” Lemay said.
“We lost a few very good players, but I think we’re a solid team with a lot of talented underclassmen,” added Gebhardt, who has averaged 73 over the summer while playing at the Pioneers’ home course, Wachusett Country Club, where he has won its club championship.
In the season opener at Wollaston CC in Milton, St. John’s, led by junior Savar Bhasin’s 1-under-par 35 and sophomore Cael Duggan’s 2-over 38, edged BC High, 237-238.
Bhasin and another junior, Ronan Mooney, both skilled left-handed players who boom their drives close to 300 yards, were solid contributors last year as sophomores.
“We’re expecting good things from Savar and Ronan this year,” Noonan said. “They really push the senior captains, and that helps our whole team.”
Mooney won the 2022 CMass individual championship at Heritage Country Club, firing a 2-under 69. Last month in the Gately Cup at Connecticut National, he carded his career-low round of 5-under 66, including a 30 on the front nine.
Bhasin, in this year’s Mass. Junior Amateur, advanced to the quarterfinals before losing to defending Divsion 1 MIAA state champion and current Mass. Amateur champion Ryan Downes, who will play at Vanderbilt University in 2004.
“I really don’t have a clear-cut No. 1 golfer in the lineup because anyone on our team, on any given day, can shoot even-par or better,” said Noonan.
Three other talented seniors add to the Pioneers’ overall strength: Robbie Cotter, Gavin Burke and Curtis McDonald, who carded a 36 in the Algonquin victory.
Other strong performers include juniors Sean Granger, Derek Mulligan and sophomore Andrew Marrone.
“We’re poised for a very good season, and it’s up to us to keep working hard throughout the dual match season and then on to the postseason,” said Noonan, who noted that his team has 18 matches, including 10 in the Catholic Conference.
Pioneers make Ryder Cup picks
The 44th edition of the Ryder Cup matches will be held Sept. 29-Oct. 1 at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club outside of Rome, Italy. Adding to the excitement is the U.S. attempt to win on European soil for the first time in 30 years.
Asked to pick the winning team, the St. John’s captains were eager to respond beginning with Lemay, who said, “The U.S. team will definitely win. With Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas, that’s a deadly duo. They’re going to rip it up there.”
Added Breen, “The U.S. team has great chemistry, and I think that will be the difference.”
Gebhardt, who, like U.S. Ryder Cup team member Brian Harmon plays left-handed, believes that with Harmon’s superb putting stroke and a much-improved Rickie Fowler, that twosome will be tough to beat.
And Veer Bhasin, agreed, adding, “With Scottie Scheffler’s ball striking and Harmon’s putting, that’s a recipe for success.”
—Contact Jay Gearan at sports@telegram.com.
This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Led by 7 talented seniors, the St. John's golf team looks for D1 title
