Staff Writer- Alayna Boe
The Gustavus Women’s Golf Team hit the road over the weekend, looking to take on 17 other teams at the D3 Classic taking place in Hastings, MN. The tournament took place at Emerald Greens Golf Course, hosted by Gustavus Adolphus College. September 13th and 14th were the dates of this two-round tournament, where players baked in the heat, but the weather was not enough to put out the fire of the Gusties’ performance. After Saturday’s round, the Gusties were placed in third, but following Sunday’s round, they fell to a 5th-place finish out of 18 collective teams. On Saturday, the women shot a collective +21 with Senior Lauren Hubbart leading the team at even par. Sunday, the women shot a +29, which dropped their place, but they persevered and ended with a +50 score and 5th place overall. First-year Addy Longie led round two and scored +4 on the round and +11 overall. Hubbart tied for a 6th-place finish with a score of +8 to end the classic. There are 97 total golfers in the D3 Classic, so a place in the top six golfers is a stately finish to the weekend. Hubbart was closely followed by Longie with a score of +11 and a place of 14th. First-year Layla Mathews and Junior Riley Zebroski finished with places of 20th and 28th, respectively.
The first round of the Classic was the better of the two rounds, and the Gusties came out strong. In round one, hole 4 seemed the strongest with two birdies and two pars shot by the top four women on the Gustavus team. There was a lot of pressure on the Gustie women for round two, and that showed in the team score. The nerves got to some of them, and Hubbart admitted to that, “I think the nerves kind of got to me, especially in the front.” She mentioned how it is hard to shoot your best on the first day of golf because you know there is more up ahead. “I shot my tournament best on Saturday, so I was even par. So then going into Sunday, it’s a little nerve-racking.” Even though there were a lot of nerves, Hubbart still tied for 6th place and shot her season’s best over the weekend.
The Gustavus Women’s Golf Team is having a great season, and this 5th place finish is just a piece into the makings for a wonderful upcoming season. So far, the Gusties have competed in three golf tournaments and have taken home a third, first, and, now, fifth-place team finish. This weekend, the women will hit the road to Eagle Valley Golf Course in Woodbury, MN, to play in a MIAC tournament hosted by St. Kate’s. After this nerve-racking and competitive tournament, the Gusties will be well prepared for what is to come. Go Gusties!