by Connor Soudani
The Whitworth women’s golf team capped off an impressive first day of competition at home for the Whitworth Invitational at the Spokane Country Club. The women were met with their first opportunity to take on multiple conference rivals at once last weekend, and it turned out to be one of their best performances thus far.
Senior Emily Guthrie led the way with a tournament-best 74. After the first day, Whitworth finished second to Whitman’s 316 with a 326. Freshman Chelsea Bayley finished with a 82 to tie junior Ashley Danforth for a tenth-place individual finish. Freshman Yvonne LaCoursiere also shot 88, while Cindy Tapia shot 99. With another day of competition yet to come, head coach Katie Fuqua expressed her excitement.
“I am very happy with how we played today,” Fuqua said. “We have definitely progressed as a team from last week, especially in the area of course management.”
Last week, the women found themselves with a difficult course at the North Idaho Invitational and had their difficulties as a team. This week, the home-field advantage has given the women’s team a much-needed boost.
“I think we were all pretty familiar with the course today,” Guthrie said. “We definitely capitalized on our familiarity with the course. We played the course well and we shot well as a result.”
As the team heads into more competitions with conference competitors, consistent play becomes increasingly important.
“I think we can expect results from our team on a consistent basis. This team just keeps getting better and better week after week,” Guthrie said. The team will need a steady improvement if they hope to best teams such as George Fox and Whitman for a spot at regionals after the conference meet.
“I’m seeing a lot of positives through 18 holes,” Danforth said. “We’re really staying mentally strong through these tournaments.”
Danforth also spoke about the role of the freshmen on this year’s team.
“I think all the freshmen are showing positive signs at this point,” Danforth said. “ They’re all different, yet they all have their own unique qualities that make them good players to have.”
Coach Fuqua also spoke about the team’s area for improvement.
“We played well today, but we still need to hit more greens; our short game still isn’t very good,” Fuqua said.
Due to Whitworthian press deadlines, coverage of Monday’s conclusion of the Whitworth Invitational was unavailable for print. Be sure to check online for extended coverage and quotes of the event.
Next up, the women will play at the George Fox Invitational Oct. 6-7 in Aloha, Ore.
Update
The women’s golf team completed the Whitworth Invitational this past Monday, with one of the more notable team performances of the season.
The strong performance of senior Emily Guthrie, who shot a 74, 76, was aided by the play from junior Ashley Danforth (82, 80) and freshman Chelsea Bayley (82, 84). Freshman Yvonne LaCoursiere recorded an 88, 89 while fellow freshman Cindy Tapia shot a 99, 89.
The Whitworth women finished second overall with a two day score of 655, behind Whitman with 639. The women finished ahead of conference teams Willamette 674, Linfield 723, and Puget Sound 871.
“It’s a difficult course, but luckily, we had good conditions,” head coach Katie Fuqua said. “We still have a lot to work on, but I’m proud of what the girls did.”
The team faces the challenge of improving steadily with a number of injured players on the roster.
Next, the women’s team will play this weekend, Oct. 6-7, at the George Fox Invitational in Aloha, Ore.
Contact Connor Soudani at csoudani16@my.whitworth.edu.