After posting first- and third-place finishes in its previous two tournaments, the women’s golf team suffered a setback in its own tournament, finishing 12th out of 14 teams in the inaugural Northwestern Invitational in Rancho Mirage, Calif.
The Wildcats, who started the day in 12th place, were unable to make a charge in the final round and finished exactly where they started.
“We obviously had wanted to do better at this tournament,” coach Chris Regenberg said. “This wasn’t what we were expecting, however, it’s what we learn from it that makes the difference.”
The Cats were led by junior captain Heather Scholten, who finished tied for 14th after shooting a final round 76, finishing four-over par for the tournament. Freshman Jennifer Hong finished in a tie for 30th place, four shots behind Scholten.
Aside from Scholten and Hong, none of the other four players finished in the top 50. Junior Kelly Robb tied for 52nd, junior Alice Kim finished tied for 58th, sophomore Katie Trachok finished tied for 60th and sophomore Brittany Johnston finished in 62nd place.
“I think they need to play more for the middle of the greens and not get as greedy with their iron play,” Regenberg said. “We need some good practice time right now. We’ve had a lot of competition now, and we are looking forward to tightening up some things at home.”
Regenberg acknowledged that the team felt some additional pressure that comes with being the host school of a tournament, however she also added that this was not necessarily bad.
“I wanted this team to feel a sense of ownership with this tournament, and they went into it with a sense of pride,” she said. “I’m a big believer that pressure is what you make of it. Pressure can elevate performance. This was a great field and there should’ve been some additional pressure, and we were hoping it would elevate our game.”
Kent State started the day with a 17-shot lead over the nearest competitor, Michigan State. Despite a final-round charge by Southern Methodist University, Kent State still cruised to an 11-shot victory.
The only drama on the final day of the tournament was which Kent State golfer would win the tournament. Heading into the day, Becky Wood and Kira Meixner were tied atop the leaderboard at eight-under, with Tara Delaney two shots back at six-under par. Wood shot a 75 in the final round, while Meixner shot a 73. Delaney fired a one-under 71 in the final round to tie Meixner at seven-under and share medalist honors with her. Wood’s final round dropped her down to fourth place.
Overall, assistant coach and tournament director Kathy Williams was pleased with the invitational.
“I think overall it was one of the best events in college golf so far this year,” Williams said. “We had so many things in the tournament that players have never experienced before.”
All of the teams were able to watch the Kraft-Nabisco Championship, a major on the LPGA Tour, which was also played in the Palm Springs area in California.
The Northwestern Invitational also featured a guest speaker, Dr. Craig Farnsworth, a putting specialist who works with many top players around the world.
“This was a special event,” Williams said.
Reach Michael Schlossberg at [email protected].
