The women’s golf team played its first tournament of the season at the Dancing Rabbit Intercollegiate Tournament in Philadelphia, Mississippi. It was a two-day tournament on March 14 and 15.
The Lady Bisons placed ninth overall, and freshman Delaney Bowles was the team’s leading scorer, placing 36th overall. In the 54-hole tournament, with ladies playing two rounds on Monday and one round on Tuesday, the team’s final round score was 371.
Sophomore Kaleigh Ramey said this was the first time they have played at the Dancing Rabbit Golf Club. She said the course was muddy, and there was talented competition.
Ramey finished 48th overall and said she is hopeful for the upcoming season. Ramey said now that the team is settled in, she is excited for the rigors of the spring season.
“It is a really mental sport,” Ramey said. “I am competing against other people and myself.”
Sophomore Katelyn Walker said this was a good tournament to start the season. She said it gave the players a lot of time on course and helped them see what skills they need to improve.
She said the spring season is always more hectic, but she loves getting ready for the long string of tournaments.
“Golf is a re-focusing time for me,” Walker said. “It is a time to get away without my phone and other distractions.”
According to Howell, the team played like “warriors” from sun-up until sundown at the tournament with no breaks for lunch.
This is Howell’s first season coaching the women’s team, and he said he sees a lot of potential. Howell said there are not any seniors on the team, so the team is focused on meeting personal goals for the future right now.
The Lady Bisons will have five tournaments this spring, including the Great American Conference Tournament, in which the team is projected to finish eighth. Howell said the tournaments are mentally and physically exhausting, so he is proud of the way the women step up to the challenge.
The women will compete next at the Argonaut Invitational in Pace, Florida, on April 4. It will be the first of four tournaments within the month of April.
