Photo courtesy of goxavier.com | The women’s golf team notched a first-place finish in its spring season opener at the Rio Grande Invitational in Rio Grande, Ariz., shooting an overall team score of 591. The team topped Big East counterpart Seton Hall.
The women’s golf team won its first tournament of the spring season, the Rio Verde Invitational in Rio Verde, Ariz., last weekend.
The team capped the tournament victory with a total score of 591, which was three strokes better than the 594 overall score posted by second-place finisher and fellow Big East competitor, Seton Hall.
The Musketeers were also the only team to score under 300 in both rounds.
The first round was originally scheduled for Feb. 22 but was canceled because of inclement weather. As a result, the tournament was changed from a 54-hole, three round format to a 36-hole, two round format. Play resumed as planned the next day on Feb. 23.
Xavier posted the third-best score in the first round, shooting a 299.
The only schools to finish better than Xavier were Arkansas St., who posted a score of 297 — the best of the day —and Boise State, who posted a score of 298.
Graduate student Lyndsey Hunnell and sophomore Andie Shukow led the team in scoring in the first round, as each posted a score of 74. The scores were tied for the 11th-best of the round.
Junior Mikayla Fitzpatrick scored a 75 in the round, which was tied for 16th place individually.
Senior Mikayla Smith shot a 76 and was tied for 31st at the end of the round while sophomore Amy Kucera shot a 77 and was tied for 36th going into the second round.
On Feb. 24, the Musketeers tied for the best score of the second round.
They shot a 292 as a team, with only Seton Hall matching that score. Wichita State was the only other team to shoot under 300 in the second round.
Fitzpatrick shot an even par, 71, in the second round to bring her total score to 146 for the tournament. She tied for fourth place individually with Hunnell, who shot a 72.
Smith also scored a 72 in the final round and finished tied for eighth with a score of 148.
Shukow finished tied for 34th, earning a total score of 153 after shooting an 80 in the second round.
Kucera finished with a total score of 154 and tied for 39th after shooting a 77 in the second round.
The team’s next tournament isn’t until March 11-12, when the Musketeers compete in the Jackrabbit Invitational in Boulder Creek, Nev at the Boulder Creek Golf Club.
By: Donnie Menke | Staff Writer
