Wahconah Takes Round One from Mount Greylock

DALTON, Mass. – Logan Aitken Tuesday carded a 2-over-par round of 37 on the front nine at Wahconah Country Club to lead the Wahconah golf team to a 160-170 win over Mount Greylock.

 

Aitken’s consistent day mirrored a consistent afternoon for the defending league champions.

 

A day after losing the 2024 individual Western Massachusetts champion among other standouts to graduation, Wahconah put four golfers at 43 or better to hand Mount Greylock its first loss of the young season.

 

“I knew Greylock would be tough with Will [Svrluga] and Jacob [Hillman] up top, but we have depth,” Wahconah coach Pete Terpak said. “I have a handful of guys that nobody knows around the county who really impressed me.

 

“I mean, these scores aren’t tremendous, but 45 and a 43 with a triple [on No. 9], that’s creeping down into an area that’s good for us for Western Mass. Because I need to develop these guys into the low 40s to have any chance in something like that.”

 

Hillman again claimed medalist honors for the Mounties, picking up the day’s only three birdies and carding a 1-over 36. Svrluga and Kai Nafziger each finished at 44, and Max Easton and Max Wied each finished at 46 to round out the scoring for the visitors.

 

Backing up Aitken for Wahconah were Sam McLaughlin and Kesler Anello at 40 apiece and Devin Colombari at 43.

 

“I’m really, really proud of Joe Hoffman [45] and Devin Colombari,” Terpak said. “Those are really, really good numbers for them, because they’re nervous as heck.

 

“They’re out here. They’re getting their first taste of competition. Our lineups have been really hard to crack. And these kids are juniors, but they never had a chance to play because of how deep we were.”

 

Juggling the lineup is a little easier this year thanks to a change in the rules at the state level that allows teams to play eight players – instead of six – while counting the top four scores.

 

Terpak said he appreciates the expansion.

 

“It just gets more people involved,” he said. “I have a bunch of players who are the same from No. 4 all the way to 8. … And what are we talking here? Bogey golf? Make a couple of pars, make seven bogeys, and you’re in the hunt.”

 

Or, flip that script and par all but two of the holes. That was Aitken’s formula on Tuesday in leading his team to victory.

 

“I had a bad bogey on five because I duck-hooked it into the trees on the left and I topped my hybrid out of it,” Aitken said. “Other than that, I’m pretty happy with how I played.

 

“It was really a lot of two putts. This was a hard putt on nine right here, a big bender. But that was really it. It was just a pretty boring round – just drive, approach, two putt. That’s all I did today.”

 

Hillman’s round was a little more eventful for the Mounties.

 

After a bogey to start, he posted a pair of pars before getting even with a birdie on the par-4 fourth hole.

 

He made the putt of the day on the par-3 sixth hole, where Hillman knocked down a 55-footer to get to even par for his round.

 

“I had the exact same line as Kessler [Anello] and Will [Svrluga], so they gave me two really good reads at it,” Hillman said. “I knew the line, and I put a good, confident stroke on it. And it happened to go in.

 

“A little bit of luck and skill, combined.”

 

Hillman birdied the par-4 eighth before finishing with a bogey, giving him just two pars on the day.

 

Mount Greylock (3-1) goes to Lenox on Friday.

 

Wahconah (2-0) hosts Lee on Friday.

 

The two teams play one another again on Monday at Waubeeka Golf Links.

 

“That’s going to be tough,” Aitken said. “That course is definitely hard. But I’m confident in our team.”

 

Photos from this match to come.

 

Wahconah (160): Sam McLaughlin 40; Kesler Anello 40; Logan Aitken 37; Joe Hoffman 45; Devin Colombari 43; Braylen Washburn 64; Jason McNulty 56; Joey Houle 51.

 

Mount Greylock (170): Jacob Hillman 36; Will Svrluga 44; Kai Nafziger 44; Max Easton 46; Max Wied 46; Nate Elder 63; Fisher Crowe 53; Tanner Taylor 46.