The Northwestern women’s golf team returned home from the Liz Murphy Classic with little more than windburn and a disappointing 10th-place tie.

The No. 15 Wildcats spent the weekend on a poor course in Athens, Ga. – one that didn’t help the team’s scores or its spirits.

The Cats moved up one spot on the final day despite gusting winds and shooting a 35-over 323, their worst round of the weekend. NU’s overall score of 951 left them knotted with Nebraska for 10th.

Meanwhile, top-ranked Duke won the tournament with a score of 902.

“There were a couple of really strong teams. A lot of the other teams we can definitely beat, but we didn’t,” sophomore Elizabeth Burden said. “I think we could have been in the top three.”

Burden was the best finisher for the Cats – 17th overall at 15-over. But she, like the entire team, was disappointed with the underwhelming performance.

“I don’t think any of us really played well and were satisfied,” Burden said. “My game needed a little work in everything, short and long.”

The shabby conditions certainly hindered NU’s short game, and the strong wind on Sunday didn’t help its long game, either.

“Everyone was disappointed with the condition of the golf course,” NU coach Chris Regenberg said. “Mentally it does play on you when conditions are such that good shots are not rewarded. I think that everyone was playing better than their scores.”

Players and coaches complained of browning grass and rough spots that made taking on the weekend’s tough competition even tougher.

The conditions were especially hard on junior Emily Gilley, who relies heavily on her strong short game. Gilley, who finished second for NU and 26th overall, was the top finisher for the Cats in the their last tournament, the Waterlefe Invitational.

“Emily played very tough, even though the bad grass was very hard on her game,” Regenberg said.

Also in the top 50 for the Cats was freshman Hana Kim, who finished 43rd.

While the weekend did not unfold as the Cats had hoped, the team remains optimistic as it heads into its final two tournaments before the Big Ten Championships on April 27. The Cats said they believe their ultimate goal of participating in the NCAA championships – they made it there last season for the first time – is well within their reach.

“We are still where we need to be,” Regenberg said. “We are putting this one behind us. It was frustrating, but it didn’t hurt us in the long run. Our best golf is yet to come.”