Going into last weekend’s EKU Lady Colonel Classic, BG women’s golf coach Stephanie Young told her team they needed to play with a sense of urgency as they headed down the stretch this semester.
The Falcons obliged with their highest finish of the spring, placing 14th with a team score of 980.
“I was very impressed with the way we played as team,” Young said. “Our chemistry was the best I have seen all year.”
The Falcons were sparked in the opening two rounds by Susy Grunden, who held the championship lead after an opening round 73 and was just three back after a 76 in round two.
Although she was betrayed by her putter during a Sunday 84, Grunden still finished in solo 28th with a score of 233.
“Susy was really on with her ball-striking all week,” Young said. “It was just really unfortunate that she could not get a putt to drop in the final round. Any time you have 41 putts, it doesn’t matter how well you hit the ball.”
“I started out putting pretty well for the first couple of holes,” Grunden said. “I just lost my confidence for some reason and it didn’t come back for the entire day.”
Even though she could not close the deal this time, Grunden said the experience of being in the hunt on the final day will only help as she continues to progress throughout her still-young career.
“[Being in contention] just helps me realize that I am so close,” Grunden said. “I just need to keep working.”
Grunden wasn’t the only Falcon to take something positive out of the week. Lauren Glew determinedly rallied back from a first round 87 with a pair of 79s to close with a score of 245, good for a tie for 54th.
“I am really proud of the mental toughness that Lauren showed after that first round,” Young said. “We had a nice talk on the course and I just told her to slow herself down and take it one shot at a time. Once she was able to do that, everything else fell into place.”
Among the other scores, Hannah Lambert closed with a solid 81 to post a score of 252 and finish tied for 81st.
Marisa Glew was three back of Lambert with a score of 255. She finished tied for 89th.
Freshman Amy Ruthenberg opened with a pair of 85s on Saturday before slipping to 90 in the final round for a 260 total and a tie for 95th.
Overall, Young was very satisfied with the team’s general focus and intensity as they prepare to host the Falcon Invitational this weekend.
“Coming into last weekend, I stressed that we needed to improve our course management and I was pleased with the results I saw,” Young said. “I think our mindset is in just the right place as we head into our home match.”
