Freshman shoots career-best as men’s and women’s golf underwhelm

The men’s golf team played its third tournament of the season at the Argonaut Invitational in Gulf Breeze, Florida. The women’s golf team played its second tournament of the season at the Bear State Bank Invitational in Mountain Home, Arkansas. Both were two-day tournaments on April 4 and 5.
The men’s team shot 310 in the final round and finished 11th of 16 teams. Sophomore Alan Anderson was the team’s highest finisher, tying for 14th place with a 5-over-par 221. It was his third top-20 finish in seven events this season. The team finished with a three-rounded total of 907.
“We could have finished better,” Anderson said. “It is just being able to finish mentally. I guess the biggest part is the mental side and just getting your mind right in, but overall we did alright.”
The Bisons shot 304 in round one and followed that with a 293, their third best round of the season.
Freshman Luke Trent, playing in only his third event as a collegian, shot a career-best 71 on his first 18 holes. He was in the top 10 after round one.
“Our second round was one of our best all year,” head coach Dustin Howell said. “That day we had a couple of guys under par. The last day we were probably all a little bit tired from being that far away and things just didn’t go our way.”
The men will compete next at the Natural State Classic hosted by Harding University in Heber Springs, Arkansas, on April 18. It will be their last tournament before the Great American Conference Tournament on April 24.
Women’s golf posted a team score of 349 in the final round of the Bear State Bank Invitational on Tuesday. They finished the invitational in 10th place with a 689. This is the second year that the Lady Bisons have played in the Bear State Invitational.
“The ladies played really well,” Howell said. “Katelyn Walker and Delaney Bowles both had wonderful rounds going on in the first day. Each of them shot 80, so all of the things that we’ve been working on all semester long have been coming together at the end here.”
Sophomore Katelyn Walker led the Bisons, shooting a final round 83. She finished tied for 27th place with a 163.
“I played 15 holes really well and kind of blew up my last four,” Walker said. “Other than that I was hitting the ball well and I know my girls were hitting the ball well. It was a good tournament.”
The women will compete next at the NCAA Division II Central Region Spring Preview hosted by Arkansas Tech University in Springfield, Missouri, on April 18.