North Dakota State Women’s Golf traveled to Iowa City to compete against 14 other schools in the Diane Thomason Invitational, which was hosted by the Iowa Hawkeyes at the Finkbine Golf Course. The invitational was held in honor of former Hawkeye Women’s Golf coach Diane Thomason, who coached the Hawkeyes from 1975 to 2002. After a streak of hot performances to open the year, claiming one win and back-to-back second-place finishes, NDSU would finish fifth in Iowa City with a team score of 921(+57) through three rounds at Finkbine.   

Round 1: In the first round in Iowa City, the Bison would finish their first 18, sitting in 6th place with a team score of 303(+15). Elise Hoven would lead the way for team NDSU, coming off her strong performance in the Eagle Invitational, leading her to become the Summit League Peak Golfer of the week. Hoven would start the Thomason Invitational with a 73(+1), shooting three birdies, twelve pars, two bogeys and a single double bogey on hole 18. Norah Roberts would finish second for the Bison in the opening round with a 75(+3). She had one birdie, thirteen pars and four bogeys. Madi Hicks would finish one stroke behind Roberts with a 76(+4). She would shoot four birdies, seven pars, six bogeys and a double bogey. Hannah Dunk would finish 4th for NDSU with a 79(+7). Dunk shot twelve par, five bogeys and a double bogey. Wrapping up the first round in Iowa City was Cora Larson with an 80(+8). Larson shot twelve pars and eight bogeys. Overall, it was an above-average opening round that North Dakota State would use as a building block for the rest of the invitational. 

Round 2: The second round of the invitational would be North Dakota State’s best round, with a team score of 299(+11). This would tie them for third place in the second round with host school Iowa and see them only one stroke behind Montana State in second place. Madi Hicks and Hannah Dunk would both lead the way for NDSU with a shared score of 71(-1), both tied for first place in the second round. Hicks and Dunk would both shoot four birdies, eleven pars and three birdies. Elise Hoven would shoot 78(+6) with one birdie, twelve pars and seven bogeys. Cora Larson would finish a stroke behind Hoven with a 79(+7). Larson shot eleven pars and seven bogeys. Finally, to wrap up a successful day one, Norah Roberts shot 81(+9) with ten pars, seven bogeys and a double bogey. North Dakota State would finish the first day in 5th place.

Round 3: The final round in Iowa City was a close fight, with the top ten schools being separated by only ten strokes. North Dakota State would finish the final eighteen holes tied for 8th place with Iowa once again. The Bison had a team score of 319(+31). Elise Hoven led the way for the Bison again with a score of 77(+5), one birdie, eleven pars and six bogeys. Madi Hicks would be one stroke behind with a 78(+6).  Hicks shot two birdies, eight pars, six bogeys and a double bogey on her way to claim 5th place in the entire invitational. Cora Larson would finish the last round with an 81(+9). Larson would shoot eleven pars, five bogeys and two double bogeys. Two strokes behind her was Hannah Dunk with an 83 (+11) Dunk had nine pars, seven bogeys and two double bogeys. Finally, to wrap up the Diane Thomason Invitational, Norah Roberts would finish the final eighteen with an 86(+14), Roberts shot eight pars, seven bogeys and three double bogeys.  

The final standings for NDSU were:

Madi Hicks- T5th- 76(+4)/71(+1)/78(+6)-225(+9) Hicks would also be named Summit League peak golfer of the week.

Elise Hoven-T11th-73(+1)/78(+6)/77(+5)-228(+12)

Hannah Dunk-T25-79(+7)/71(-1)/83(+11)-233(+17)

Cora Larson-T51st-80(+8)/79(+7)/81(+9)-240(+24)

Norah Roberts-T56th-75(+3)/81(+9)/86(+14)-242(+26)

North Dakota State Women’s Golf will look to get back on the hot seat in Kapolei, Hawaii, at the Rainbow Wahine Invitational from Oct. 21-23.