Two Wins Close Out W. Golf’s Season

Two championship victories was just what the Harvard women’s golf team needed to end its season on a winning note. Despite facing adverse conditions, the team came out on top at the Massachusetts State Invitational Championship on Friday and again at the New England State Championships yesterday.

“It was great to win,” junior Jennifer Cronan said, “especially since we had a disappointing weekend at the Ivy Championships last weekend.”

Due to torrential downpours Saturday, that day’s competition was delayed and eventually cancelled. Harvard was also suffering from the absence of senior J.J. Kang, who couldn’t make it to the competitions for personal reasons.

“We missed her a lot,” senior Carrie Baizer said.

The team was playing at the Orchards, the course where the 2004 U.S. Women’s Open was been held. Before Friday’s competition, none of the freshman had ever played the course. The team was happy, however, to have the chance to play the course twice in one weekend.

“The course is one of our favorite courses,” Baizer said.

Friday’s competition had been on the same course, so the team members got an opportunity to improve their scores, which they did, scoring a total 331—two shots less than on Friday.

Cronan won the competition with a 78—six over par. Her total was a remarkable feat considering that she had shot 10 strokes higher on the same course just two days earlier and that the weather was rainy and windy.

“Going into the weekend, we were a little worried about the rain,” Cronan said, “but we all played well as a team and ended up coming in very strong.”

The wind was the only element the team had to deal with on Friday. Harvard placed first with a score of 333—beating second-place Amherst by 10 strokes. At the end of the competition, Baizer was tied with BU’s Brenna Gibson for first with a 79, seven over par. But Baizer lost the playoff to end up with a second-place finish.

Loncke was right behind her with an 80, coming in third place.

The two competitions mark the end of the season for the women’s golf team.

“It was a great weekend,” Baizer said. “Everyone was playing well and it really shows a lot of promise for next year.”