Day one of the George Phinney Golf Classic hosted by Middlebury College proved to be a tough challenge for the Williams women's golf team. Played at Ralph Myre Golf Course, the Ephs finished with a team total of 326, +42. They are one behind the lead, held by New York University and Hamilton College at 325, +41. On the individual side, Maddie Hong of Hamilton College leads the filed with a 76, +5.
On a day of heavy winds, the course played as one of the toughest rounds seen by the Ephs in the season so far. Slick and undulated greens, near-impossible pin placements, and wet conditions kept the team on their toes. The course also played at 6004 yards, a longer-than-normal distance for the golfers this season.
Leading the Ephs on day one was first-year Jacqueline Lu and junior Tianyi Zhuang with a pair of 81s, +10. Zhuang started her round with a bang with a birdie on the 10th, and Lu carded a strong birdie on the par-5 1st. Senior Catalin Yturralde followed with an 82, +11. After a tough stretch of holes, Yturralde birdied the tough 13th. Sophomore Gio Kim also shot an 82, +11. G. Kim kept it steady with a few bogeys. Rounding out the team lineup, junior Aishvarya Bedi carded an 85, +14. After a tough back nine, Bedi reeled it in with a +5 on the front.
On the individual side, first-year Victoria Kim shot an 84, +13. Though birdies did not come for V. Kim, she kept it strong with a key par on the tough par-5 11th. First-year Euna Lee carded an 85, +14, with a phenomenal birdie on the long par-3 12th. Finally, senior Malini Rudra finished with an 86, +15. Rudra also had a tough back nine but remained strong through the front.
"Today was definitely a grind of a day especially given the conditions of the course," Yturralde remarks. "I'm really proud that the team never gave up and maintained amazing energy throughout the day despite not scoring as low as we know we can."
Head Coach Tomas Adalsteinsson comments, "The course played really tough today. The wind and wet conditions made it long, and some tricky hole locations coupled with fast greens added to the challenge. I thought our team handled the condition the best they could. We stayed calm and disciplined, and we're in a position to compete for the win tomorrow."
The Ephs hope to bridge their one shot difference tomorrow morning and defend their title. The tournament will begin again at a 9:30 shotgun start.
Original source can be found here.
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