The women’s golf team traveled to Daytona Beach, Florida over spring break to compete in the Southwest Minnesota State Spring Invitational at the LPGA International Hills Legends Course. This was the team’s first tournament of the spring.
Junior Brittany Marquez placed fourth out of the 36 competitors in the tournament. She scored an 84 in the first round and an 80 in the second round with finishing with a score 164. This is the third time Marquez has scored in the top five in the five events she has played in this season.
The team placed sixth in the tournament. Coach Christy Morgan said the golf course was a challenge to a mostly young team. Morgan said the team has been spending some time at the range tweaking a few weaknesses in their golf swings and gaining confidence when they play.
“We did not finish where we wanted to,” Morgan said. “The trip has fueled us to work harder for the next one.”
The team had some free time while they were in Florida to enjoy the beach and spend time together. Marquez said the team bonded well together during the trip and said their season will get better if they practice a lot.
Junior Lani Schwartz said golfing takes a lot of time and a lot of patience. She said teamwork in golf is important because it is a really mental game. Schwartz said it’s important to try to make a team member laugh across the golf course if you see that they’re getting frustrated and having a bad day.
“Teamwork is so important because it’s so easy to get down on yourself mentally,” Schwartz said. “That never bodes well for a good game.”
The team tries to pray before every round. Schwartz said after every round the team discusses what each individual did well and they try to focus on the positive instead of the negative.
Golf is different from other team sports because the players not only play as a team but they are each competing individually. Coach Morgan said the Florida trip was a great bonding experience for the team.
“We enjoy being together and often encourage and help each other when we are down,” Morgan said. “Golf is unique in that an individual can go on and win a tournament and qualify for post-season play even if the rest of the team does not, but on the same token we want the whole team to do well.”
The women’s golf team will be hosting the next tournament at Red Apple Inn in Heber Springs on March 31 and April 1. It is a tournament for both men and women’s teams.
