LINK – ASHLAND UNIVERSITY WOMEN'S GOLF PAGE
What will Ashland University's women's golf team do for an encore?
The Eagle women won the 23-team Michael Corbett Fall Classic in Erie, Pa., on Monday (Sept. 11) following a tournament-best round of 304. It will be a quick turnaround for Ashland, as the two-round Bulldog Fall Preview is set for Friday (Sept. 15) and Saturday (Sept. 16) at Katke Golf Club in Big Rapids, Mich.
"We struggled the first day. We had a couple misses," said Ashland head coach Andrew Bolinger, a winner in his first tournament coaching at the college level. "The second day, they knew it was a course they could make a lot of birdies. They're very excited."
That round of 304 is tied for the sixth-best team score in AU women's golf history, trailing a 290, two 298s, a 300, three 302s and three 303s.
In her first tournament as the Eagles' No. 1 golfer, sophomore Krystal Hu placed fourth and ended 79-73—152. In her 16 career rounds at Ashland, three have been 73 or better.
"Seventy-three's a good score, and hopefully, we can build on that," Bolinger said.
The next two players on the Eagle leaderboard in Erie, Pa., were freshmen – Hannah Lemons and Sophie Hemleben. Lemons was tied for seventh (76-78—154), while Hemleben was tied for 12th (83-74—157).
"The next three years, there's a lot going on to where we can build this program up to a national level," Bolinger said. "Hannah's a very hard-working individual, and she never gives up. Sophie had a great round the second day.
"Their work ethic, just in the first couple weeks, you can tell they're wanting to be there. I'm excited that their work is paying off."
All five Ashland players finished in the top 26 in the 120-player field, as junior Monica Torda (tied for 21st, 82-79—161) and sophomore Anna Schatschneider (tied for 26th, 82-81—163) rounded out the weekend.
Of this weekend's tournament at Katke, Bolinger said, "This is a regional preview. It's mostly conference teams at Ferris State. The Katke course seems to be a tough test of golf. It's supposed to be nice up there, so hopefully we can get some low scores."
AU
WGOLF/DS