Colorado Golf takes Program's First Title at Mountain View

TravelGolf.com Staff Report

enior Brooke Van Wyk Ties School Record Low 18-Hole Score

TUCSON— The University of Colorado women’s golf team, on the heels of a school record spring tournament low 297 on Saturday, held on to the lead following the second round of 18 to win the program’s first ever tournament title, the Third Annual Mountain View Collegiate, on the 5,921 yard, par-72 Mountain View Golf Course here today.

The end of the tournament was a dramatic one with an unlikely heroin as at the end of 36 holes, the Buffs were tied for the win with International Pacific College (Brisbane Queensland, Australia), with each team carding a two day 603.

Tournament rules dictate that the win goes to the team whose fifth player recorded the lowest tournament score. Colorado freshman Jo Pritchard turned in a 36-hole 160 while Mako Oda of International Pacific fell one stroke shy with a 161, handing Colorado the milestone win.

“They gutted it out,” said an elated Colorado head coach Anne Kelly. “Everybody played real solid today. They were grinders and I’m so proud of all of them. It was the first time that we beat all other Big 12 schools (Kansas State finished fourth, Texas Tech sixth and Iowa State eighth), and all of the other in-state schools (Colorado State finished fifth and Denver seventh) in the same tournament. This was a great win, especially for the seniors.”

• Past Colorado course reviews • Buffs Finish 12th at Lady Aztec Invitational

Kansas State’s Elise Carpentier won the individual title, with a 1-over-par 145. Colorado sophomore Erin Kerr finished a career-best second, carding a 36-hole 147 and tied with Denver’s Christine Anast and Arizona’s Anne Lee.

The surprise of the day was the performance of senior Brooke Van Wyk, who shot a second day 69 tying the CU school record for low 18-hole score. Michelle Thomas established the mark during the 1998-99 campaign and Erin Kerr tied it earlier this year. The Mountain View Collegiate was only Van Wyk’s second tournament of the season, first since October. Her 151, 12th place finish was also a career best. She played as an individual this weekend, and therefore was unable to contribute to the team score.

“Brooke played great,” complemented Kelly. “She struggled on the first nine (44) yesterday and had a solid back nine (38) and played the best round of her career today.”

This year’s senior class had finished with three runner-up titles in their four-year careers in Boulder and will graduate as the first class with a tournament title on their resumes. “This is fantastic,” said senior co-captain Katy Nolan who finished 29th with a two-day 156. “It’s so great to have this finally happen. I feel like we deserved it more than anyone. We came together and pulled it off after four years. We all knew we could hold on to the lead and talked about it even this morning. We knew this one was ours.”

Senior Sarah Bellinger tied her best season finish in seventh, turning in a 149 after two days. Sophomore Jolene Fellhauer tied Van Wyk’s effort, finishing 12th with a 151.

The Buffs have just seven days before they play in the San Jose State Invitational, March 5-7 on the Corral de Tierra Country Club course.

MOUNTAIN VIEW COLLEGIATE  (Mountain View Golf Course, Tucson) 


TOP 10 INDIVIDUALS 
1.  Elise Carpentier, Kansas State 70-75-  145 
2.  Erin Kerr, Colorado 72-75  147 
2. Christine Anast, Denver 73-74-  147 
2. Anne Lee, Arizona 73-74-  147 
5.  Chiaki Yoshizaki, Int. Pac. Col 74-74-  148 
5. Shino Okawa, Int. Pac. Co.. 75-73-  148 
7. Mayumi Motoyama, Colorado St. 75-74-  149 
7. Sarah Bellinger, Colorado 73-76-  149 
9. Laura Myerscough, Arizona 75-75-  150 
9. Stephanie Dukes, Texas Tech 76-74-  150 
9. Noel Jacobusse, Iowa State 75-75-  150 


CU INDIVIDUALS 
t-2. Erin Kerr  72-75-  147 
t-7. Sarah Bellinger  73-76-  149 
t-12. Jolene Fellhauer  75-76-  151 
t-12. Brooke Van Wyk (Ind)  82-69- 151 
t-29. Katy Nolan  77-79-  156 
t-44. Jo Pritchard  81-79-  160 
(Ind- played as an individual) 
  


TEAM SCORES 
**1. COLORADO 297-306- 603 
2. International Pacific (Australia)  301-302- 603 
3. Arizona (B) 302-302- 604 
4. Kansas State  305-301- 606 
5. Colorado State 309-298- 607 
6. Texas Tech 304-305- 609 
7. Denver 307-308- 615 
8. Iowa State  318-305- 623 
9. Hawai’i  318-310- 628 
10. Wichita State  323-307- 630 
11. Wyoming  334-313- 647 
**-- playoff winner