Junior starts golf season with promise
By Bob Nuse, Sports Editor
Tom Yarson was barely old enough to hold a golf club when his older brother Don was winning tournaments and posting low scores for the Montgomery High golf team.
Now, as a junior at MHS, the younger Yarson is making his own name for himself as a top golfer for the Cougars.
Through four matches this season, Yarson has an average below 40 and has helped the Cougars to a 3-1 start.
”We have two guys that are really carrying us right now,” Montgomery coach Joe Bassford said. “Tom Yarson played for us as a freshman and then moved to Connecticut last year. He’s back this year and has already had a round of 35. And Brian Motherway has also been playing real well.
”Those two have been at the top and after that we have a deep group of guys that have been real solid. We have a deep team with 10 guys I can rotate on any given day into the lineup. They can all shoot under 40.”
Yarson’s play has helped the Cougars to wins over Belvidere, St. Peter’s and Ridge. And in their only loss of the season to Hunterdon Central, the Cougars finished with a 199.
The year away in Connecticut didn’t seem to hurt Yarson’s golf game. In fact, he probably came back to Montgomery a better overall player.
”As a freshman I was here and played varsity,” Yarson said. “Then me and my dad moved to Connecticut for one year. I played at St. Joseph’s in Trumball and did well. I came back here and over the winter did a lot of work indoors hitting the ball and preparing for this season.
”Last year I was shooting 73-74 in the conference tournament and states. All season long I was in the low 30s and made all-state and all-conference.”
Yarson has continued that high level of play this year, giving Montgomery another Yarson who can dominate on the golf course.
”When I was younger my brother would take me to the range and teach me how to play,” Yarson said. “It was mostly that and also my dad played and he would take me out and we would play. That is what got me started.
”I’ve been very happy with the way I am playing. For me I like playing in the bad weather we’ve had to start the season. I look at it as a challenge and can raise my game.”
As a team, Montgomery has started well in the bad weather and hopes to play even better as the conditions improve.
”I think with our team we have a bunch of potential,” Yarson said. “We have started off playing well in the bad weather and I think we can do even better in the good weather.
”Even the match we lost to Hunterdon Central, which is a really good team, we only lost by three. I think our team has great potential.”
With plenty of talented players, it has left Bassford in a position of trying to find playing time for everybody. He has a solid group of seniors with Andy Singh, Zach Miller, Doug Toth and Mike McHugh joining Motherway. Junior Lawrence Mazzeo and sophomore Steven Altieri have also started the season well.
”A lot of the guys are averaging right around 40-41,” Bassford said. “Lawrence Mazzeo has stepped up. Steven Altieri is a sophomore who is back and has been one of our most consistent players. We have been playing well and I have high expectations with all this talent.
”Parker Lyons has been shooting 39-40-44 in the JV matches. Even our 10th guy is not far behind. I’m doing a lot of different things to determine the lineup each match. We’re using average, average over the last three rounds, whatever we can use that to rotate guys.”
For Bassford, it is a nice problem to have as a coach when you have too many talented players.
”They are all good kids and understand they are all in it for the team,” he said. “When I have to sit them out they support the team. They compete against each other for the spots and then come together and play. They value the team atmosphere even though golf is considered an individual sport.”
The Cougars were scheduled to play in the High Bridge Hills Classic on Monday and will play in the Somerset County Tournament at Neschanic on April 18 before hosting the Cherry Valley Invitational on April 25.
”We have some big matches and tournaments coming up,” Bassford said. “We’re looking forward to it.”

