The NDSU women’s golf team took the lead early and never looked back as the Bison won the NDSU Fall Invitational at the Oxbow Country Club in Oxbow N.D.
The Herd finished with a 25-over 601, winning by 13 strokes. The team shot a 304 in the first round and improved by seven strokes in the second round with a 297.
The Bison had six golfers in the Top 10 on the leaderboard.
“We played well both days (of the tournament),” said NDSU head coach, Matt Johnson. “But we finished better today.”
Catherine Monty and Elise Hoven were the top performers on the team. Both players shot five-over 149s, sharing first place.
Monty hit a three-over 75 in the first round and a two-over 74 in the second round. The junior told The Spectrum nerves started to get the best of her after a shot went astray on the 15th hole, but she recovered and got the job done.
“I hooked it into the rocks, so I had to drop and unfortunately I got a double,” Monty said. “Then I started freaking out a little bit, my heart rate really went up and I was like ‘What if I just lost it?,’ and then I kept myself calm and parred out. Overall, very happy with how I played.”
Hoven, a sophomore, hit a two-over 74 to open the tournament and three-over in the final round. Hoven said that sharing the win with friend and teammate Monty was a special moment.
“Catherine is one of my best friends,” Hoven said. “So, to tie her is really cool.”
The pair have talked about how this year’s team is showing signs of being great.
“We’ve talked about how good of a team we can be this year,” Hoven said. “So, to see it on paper it is really good to see.”
Johnson said that both players have improved during their NDSU careers.
“They both have improved a lot since their junior year in high school days,” Johnson said. “They are both very capable of playing very well.”
Junior Leah Skaar also had a solid performance in the tournament, tying for fourth with an eight-over 153. Skaar bounced back after a first-round 80 set her back early. She responded the next day, posting a team-best score, an even 72.
Cora Larson, who golfed individually, tied for sixth with a nine-over 153. Larson, a first-year student, shot a 73 in the final round, improving her position among the leaders after an 80 in the first round.
Sophomore Jo Baranczyk shot an 11-over 155 for ninth place. Baranczyk hit 79 strokes in the first and 76 in the second round. Her second-round improvement placed her within the Top 10.
Madi Hicks, a first-year student, shot a 12-over 156 for a 10th-place tie. After a 76 in the first round, Hicks encountered some difficulties and finished with an 80.
Ava Wallerich, another individual golfer for the Bison, tied for 12th with a 13-over 157. An 82 to start the tournament put Wallerich in a tough spot early, but she improved her score in the final round, shooting a three-over 75.
Senior Maddie Herzog finished 17th with a 19-over 163. Herzog shot 82 and 81 in the tournament. In the first round, she saved par on #2 with a long iron out of a fairway bunker brought her just shy of the green. She then chipped it within six inches of the cup and tapped in to save her par.
The Bison travel to the Jackrabbit Invitational at the Brookings Country Club in Brookings S.D Sept. 19-20.
Johnson said despite the win, his team still has some work they can do.
“Those demanding holes kind of got us, but we can work on that,” Johnson said. “Going forward everyone is in a pretty good spot after this event.”