Colorado University Athletics
Colorado
Round Three
CU Women's Golf Wins Ptarmigan/Ram Fall Classic
September 12, 2006 | Women's Golf
The Buffaloes got a big birdie from Lindsay Senger and an even bigger par from Hannah Hoch to hold off Baylor, finishing with a score of 872. It marks just the second tournament CU has ever won, along with the 2001 MountainView Collegiate. The team score of 872 crushes the Buffs' previous best team tournament score of 888, set at MountainView in 2005.
“It was a total team effort today,” said head coach
Senger led the way for the Buffaloes, shooting a two-under par 214 for the tournament and chipping in for birdie on her last hole to take second place, the highest finish for a Buff golfer since the 2004-05 season and just the eighth time a CU golfer has finished second or better all-time. Senger posted a career best 70 in the second round, which had to be finished up this morning due to darkness Monday night, to follow up a 71 in the opening loop. She finished with a one-over 73 to give her the best three round tournament score in school history, topping Hoch's previous best of 215 set at this same tournament two years ago and again at the MountainView Collegiate in 2005.
“I'm on a par three for the last hole, and I hit an awful eight iron off the tee so I had a flop shot over a grass bunker with a foot of green to work with,” said Senger. “So I hit it, and I'm thinking, ?Wow, it has a chance, it has a chance,' and it just dropped. It was the best shot I hit all week and felt the best I guess.”
“No one deserves it more than Senger,” said Kelly. “For as hard as she's worked and because she's overcome adversity and has totally reworked her game. I'm just so proud of her.”
For Senger, a junior from Louisville, Colo., who started playing as a part of CU's regular rotation in the spring of last season, its evidence that hard work can pay off.
“I'd say that the biggest thing that has helped me is that when school started Coach Kelly and (assistant coach) Brent Franklin, they made it clear right away that they believed in me,” she said. “They knew I had the ability to shoot low scores at this level. They were really hard on me a few times, telling me I had to start to shoot birdies and just do it and work hard and believe in myself. It paid off. And my dad got to be up here see it, which is really great.”
Senger was not alone in the clutch shot category. Senior Hoch was the last Buff golfer to finish and had a good sense of what was on the line.
“I had my drive on my last hole, a par four, caught up in the rough, so I hit a good second shot not quite to the green,” said Hoch. “I had a tough chip, I put it about five feet away. I knew that putt would come down to it...I knew (the standings) were close. I had a good putter all day...it just went in. I knew what was riding on it and fed off the pressure instead of succumbing to it.”
That putt was the last shot for
“It's so exciting,” said Hoch. “It's the first time in my four years that we've won and we've been close a few times, but it's such a let down to be second. Everyone helped. Senger with a chip in, me to make the up-and-down, and everyone else hung in there. When it comes down to one stroke, when you think about 10 different shots over the course of a round, everyone made a shot that mattered. It is a great start to the year and its even better that it was at CSU.”
Right behind Hoch was freshman Julie Kim, who did not disappoint in her
Sophomore Lindsay Caljouw had a magnificent final round as well. After a solid one-over 73 first round on Monday, and struggling to a six-over 78 on her second loop over the past two days, she rallied for an even par third round to help the Buff cause. Caljouw fought back from two double-bogeys, one on each side, to knock in four birdies in the last round and stay even. She shot a 223 for the tournament and finished 18th.
Freshman Dominique Pytlewski had her best round in the final loop, posting a six-over 78. She finished with a three day total of 240, which put her in 71st place.
“We were really solid coming in on the last few holes which was good because I knew it was close,” said Kelly. “I told the two freshmen, who were going to finish before Senger and Hannah, that every hole counted and they responded with two pars each on their last two holes.”
Senger for one is thrilled with the team's start and thinks the way they finished up the 2005-06 season, with a third place finish at the Big 12 Tournament, played a role.
“From the team perspective, I'd say we're all very excited last year coming off of Big 12 we finally got it going and then the season was over,” Senger said. “It's so great because we finally played well and have results to show for it, we were able to take what we learned last year and keep moving forward to being successful this year. It was nice to see it continue and not start from ground zero in the first tournament and learning how to compete and get results. We are out of the gate strong and it's a great way to start the season.”
The Buffs hope to carry their success with them on their next trip, which will take them to
TEAM SCORES
1.
2. Baylor ............. 290-291-292?873
3.
4.
5.
T6.
T6.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14. Gonzaga............. 319-306-317?942
15.
16. Northern
17.
TOP TEN INDIVIDUALS
1. Kay Hoey, Long Beach State........... 67-74-68?209
2.
T3.
T3. Jennifer Shipley,
T3. Krista Swanson, Montana,............. 73-69-73?215
6.
T7. Hannah Burke, Baylor ................ 73-72-72?217
T7. Hannah Hoch,
T7. Sirapa Kasemsamran,
T7. Allison Martin, Baylor .............. 72-72-73?217
T11. Julie Kim,
T11.
2. Lindsay Senger....................... 71-70-73?214
T7. Hannah Hoch,......................... 74-71-72?217
T11. Julie Kim............................ 68-73-77?218
T18. Lindsay Caljouw...................... 73-78-72?223
T60. *Lindsay Koth........................ 77-81-78?236
T68. *Christine Kim....................... 79-83-77?239
T71. Dominique Pytlewski.................. 83-79-78?240
