Although the men’s and women’s golf teams played separately from each other this past Sunday and Monday, what they took away from the matches was very similar: disappointment.
The men’s team played in the Rhodes Intercollegiate, which was held in Tunica, Mississippi. The Tunica National Course proved to be, according to Vince Lazar, the “toughest field and course of the year outside of nationals”.
“Travelling down south is always a good experience because the courses have Bermuda grass, opposed to the bent grass that we play on in Indiana,” sophomore Stuart Alvey said, who served as the student-assistant for the event. “It’s always interesting to see how that difference will affect the guys’ play.”
Despite the obvious challenge, the Tigers came out strong in the first round and had a chance to win the event, finishing the first day in fifth place out of 17 teams.
The Tigers were led by sophomore Quinn Smith and senior Eric Tandy, who both fired one over par 73s. However, the team faded in the second round and ended up placing 10thoverall.
“We were unable to capitalize,” senior Ty Frost said. “Prior to the tournament, we knew which holes would give us trouble, but we did not carry that insight onto the course and therefore were penalized for it.”
The women’s team stayed closer to home for the O’Brien Invitational, hosted by St. Mary’s College. The tournament is known to showcase some of the top Division III teams.
Unlike the men’s team, the women struggled out of the gate in the first round of play Sunday, finishing play in seventh out of 10 teams, but managed to make adjustments Monday in the second round to finish fifth overall.
Returning players saw the O’Brien Invitational as an opportunity to gain momentum for the rest of the fall season, as the Tigers won the event last year.
“Unfortunately, the conditions weren’t the same,” said sophomore Sheinnera Gerongay, who posted a 165 over the two rounds and tied for 17th individually. "It was colder and wet which meant that the course was playing longer.”
Besides the poor conditions, the Tigers had another challenge that they had been fighting against all season: their lack of experience.
The team roster consists of five first-years, three sophomores and one junior, Brooke Hasler. However, the team is currently playing without any upperclassmen, as Hasler is on an internship working for Brand Era in Texas.
“It’s really hard not being there to support my team,” Hasler explained. “I face-time them every week to stay in the loop, but it’s hard for me to not be able to bond with these new freshmen on a face-to-face level.”
Nevertheless, the sophomores have used the little experience they have to become leaders on the team. Although the official results of the Invitational were a letdown, the Tigers still found reasons for optimism.
“I was proud of how we all came together as a team,” first-year Kharissa Carras, who shot a 77 in the second round, said. “We're an extremely young team, but I think our chemistry and raw talent is what sets us apart from other woman's golf programs in our conference.”
Both teams’ next matches will be at the DePauw Small College Classic. Lazar’s mindset for the event is fairly simple.
“The goals for both teams are to take advantage of home course knowledge and practice opportunities and win the tournaments,” the coach said.
The women will play in the Classic this coming Saturday and Sunday, followed by the men’s team, who will host it next weekend. The event will be played at Twin Bridges GC in Danville, Indiana.