The regular season ended with some bumps and bruises for the Dixie State University women’s golf team as it avoided a last place finish with a solid day two.
The Palm Valley Golf Club was the host course for the 19-team field in this year’s Western New Mexico Mustang Intercollegiate. DSU finished 17th overall with a final team score of 639 (+63). Only one Trailblazer, redshirt junior Cobair Collinsworth, finished within the top 20.
For a course playing only 5,900 yards, the Trailblazers struggled to score low as three of the five players failed to break 80 in either round. Sophomore Katie Ford was the other low-woman on the squad as she put together solid rounds of 79 and 76 for an overall 11-over-par (155).
Yet, with the exception of Collinsworth’s seven overall birdies for the tournament, only one other birdie was posted by the lady Blazers.
“[I was] dropping birdies like microphones,” said Collinsworth, a business administration major from Sandy.
Even though she failed to sink a single birdie putt in her tie for 40th, Ford said she was pleased with her overall performance and felt she was only a few strokes away from where she wanted to be.
“I played some of the best golf [I’ve had] in a really long time this week,” said Ford, an exercise science major from St. George. “Overall, I really don’t think I can be disappointed about the [28] pars I was able to put out there this week.”
Head coach Lindsey Stucki was impressed by her team’s resilience on day two as the girls failed to succumb to a last place finish. Stucki said the team bettered its score by 19 strokes.
“Every single player improved,” Stucki said. “[Collinsworth’s] 70 was the second lowest round [on day 2] out of the [100 players] in the field.”
Freshmen Ashley Fernandez and Ashley Malone, along with sophomore Mei Brennan all finished outside the top 80. Fernandez shot 85-81 for an overall score of 188 (+22). After recording DSU’s only other birdie, Malone finished with an overall 173 (+29) and a 96th place finish. Brennan finished only two strokes in front of Malone as she carded a 171 (+27) and a tie for 92nd place.
The Trailblazers head to Hawaii for the Pacific West Conference Women’s Golf Championships April 24 to 26 with hopes to finish the season strong.
