Record round not enough to win for women’s golf at Invitational

Despite a record-tying performance on Tuesday, the women’s golf team had difficulty dealing with the weather Wednesday morning, finishing sixth overall at the Bobcat Invitational in Bozeman, Mont.

Memphis took the top five spots on their way to claiming the first place finish by a comfortable margin. The remaining teams stayed tightly grouped through the first day of play, with Idaho State and UVU falling behind once the second round concluded.

Stephanie Parkinson tied the school record lowest round, shooting a 74 during the first day of the tournament. Going into Wednesday, Parkinson was tied for fifth place, trailing first place Marissa Steen of Memphis by 3 strokes. By tournament’s end, Parkinson had slipped to 25th, finishing the round with an 89.

Abbie Archibald led UVU overall, shooting rounds of 79 and 80, for a total of 159 over the two days and a 21st place finish. Wednesday saw a slip in all but one of the golfers’ scores, as Stephanie Fox improved six strokes between the two rounds.

While not an ideal finish in the team’s second tournament, coach Sue Nyhus is optimistic for the remainder of the season.

“I can see this is going to be a record-breaking year,” she said shortly after the conclusion on Wednesday.

Coach Nyhus said that her golfers may have struggled with the rain and difficult conditions Wednesday morning, but noted that they responded well considering the earliness of the season.

The team looks to continue to improve as they travel to Flagstaff, Ariz. for the Mountain Shootout on September 20-21.