The University of Louisiana at Monroe’s women’s golf team traveled to South Alabama to open up their 2018-2019 campaign.
The Warhawks entered South Alabama and the USA Intercollegiate looking to post another strong campaign after the 2017-2018 team had multiple top-five finishes.
The Warhawks would stumble out of the gate, finishing the first in 14th place, shooting 30-under-par as a group.
Day two would prove to be more of the same as the Warhawks would finish the tournament tied for 15th place out of 17 with Alabama State University. The two schools would shoot 50-over-par over the two days.
Leading the way for the Warhawks was New Zealand junior Shani White who would tie for 24th in the tournament, shooting three-over-par over the two days.
White had a particularly strong opening two rounds, shooting a score of one-over-par. White went into the last round tied for 18th place, after shooting a 71. White had positioned herself on the fringe of the top 10 after the first two rounds.
The Warhawks as a whole had a tougher finding their footing in the third round, shooting their worst cumulative round at 308.
The third was not all bad for the Warhawks as Sweedish senior Olivia Landberg shot a solid three-over-par after a rough first 36 rounds which had her tied for 82nd and last for the Warhawks at 15-over-par.
One golfer made her Warhawk debut transfer from Alcorn State, Jahaanvie Walia. Walia ended the tournament tied for 79th, scoring a 19-over-par for the weekend.
Her strongest round was the opening round where she shot a 74 tying for the Warhawk lead at the time with White.
Walia struggled to find consistency in the final two rounds, shooting 82 and 79. Walia was not alone in her struggles in the second round. As more than one Warhawk shot over 80.
Landberg was that Warhawk and Canadian sophomore Sharmaine Rapisura nearly became a third in the second, shooting a 78 after a solid 76 in the first round. Rapisura would have a solid third round including 10 pars leaving her with a 21-over-par.
Rapisura and Eaton both had troubles in the last round as both golfers shot over 80 for the day, with Rapisura shooting 83 and Eaton an 80. Both girls will look to bounce back in their next tournament.
The tournament was won by California Baptist, the only school who would shoot under par for the event at one-under-par as a team. California Baptist was fueled by four golfers finishing in the top 25, highlighted by Erica Wang who would tie for second with South Florida’s Ramya Meerakshisundaran who both shot 4-under-par for the tournament.
The individual winner was Western Kentucky’s Mary Joiner who shot a scorching eight-under-par. Joiner led her school to a third-place finish in the event.
The top five was rounded about by second place, South Florida. Fourth place, Tulane and fifth place Mississippi State.
The Warhawks will have an opportunity to bounce back in a big way on Oct. 1st and 2nd at the APSU Intercollegiate in Clarksville, Tennessee. The Warhawks have had recent success at the APSU Intercollegiate as last year the Warhawks finished second.
The Warhawks will hope to at least match that result and to get the season further underway.