PUEBLO, Colo. – The Seattle Pacific University women's golf team competed at the Southern Colorado Classic at the Walking Stick Golf Resort on Sunday and Monday. The Falcons had a fantastic first round, leading to a top-10 team finish at the Tournament.
"We accomplished our goal of putting together a complete tournament," head coach Tyler Copp Said. "Although we would've liked to see our team score be lower in the second round, this was our most successful event to date. A first round 312 was the best we've played all year. It was a joy to celebrate such a complete day out on the course. Our results the past two days were in large part because we managed our expectations and had a great mindset heading into the tournament."
Newly dubbed Great Northwest Athletic Conference Player of the Week Zoe Garcia and Brigitte Fenton were outstanding in Sunday's opening round. Garcia had a fantastic front nine, collecting three birdies while shooting one under par. She paired her front nine 35 with a 39 on the back nine for a first round score of 74.
Garcia's second round was solid as well. She finished with a 79 that had 12 pars and a birdie on a 458-yard par five. Garcia finished the tournament nine over par and tied for 14th in the individual standings.
"Zoe put together a pair of great rounds this tournament," Copp said. "Two scores in the 70's and very consistent play is what we will continue to ask of her."
Like Garcia, Fenton was excellent on the first nine holes of the course. She birdied a 340-yard par four and a 459-yard par five during that stretch. She was even par on the front nine and shot a 41 on the back for a first round 77. Fenton checked in with an 81 in round two. It was a consistent day, with a 41 on the front nine and a 40 on the back nine.
"Brigitte has been patient this spring and she was due for a nice finish," Copp said. "She's more than capable of sub-160 tournament scores."
Natalie Eklund had a solid opening round. She shot an 80, highlighted by a birdie on the course's first hole. Eklund continued to play well into the second round of the tournament. She led the Falcons with a 78 on Monday. She scored par on 12 holes and had a birdie on a 314-yard par four. Eklund had the Falcon's best score in round two of the tournament. Fenton and Eklund tied for 34th overall in the individual standings.
"Natalie is hitting the ball extremely well right now," Copp said. "She put herself in really good spots off the tee and struck her irons nicely."
As a team, the Falcons finished in ninth place at the Southern Colorado Classic. Simon Fraser was the only other GNAC school at the tournament. The Red Leafs shot 10 over par in each round and walked away with the tournament title.
The Falcons have a month to prepare for the GNAC Championships that happen April 21 and 22. SPU tees it up with MSU Billings, Northwest Nazarene, Simon Fraser, Saint Martin's, and Western Washington in Couer d'Alene, Idaho at the CDA Resort Golf Course.
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