Women's Golf Awaits Conference, Places Third at Earlham Invitational
Avis McGovern
The Manchester University Women’s Golf team looks to keep their heads high and their scores low before they head to conference.
Although the final score is tallied by individual performance, the girls make sure to put in team effort by supporting one another at each hole. Emily Milburn, a junior golfer, speaks about the importance of keeping one another confident and focused on the game. “We mostly just try to be there for each other and lend positivity when needed,” said Milburn. “During our tournaments, we are sure to wave and cheer at each other just in case a teammate’s performance is not going as expected.” Milburn looks to improve her short game and keeping a positive mentality throughout her matches, as her fall career comes to a close.
With conference being underway, Women’s Golf looks to stick to what they know best through practice. Taylor Erfman, a first-year, said, “The team is not working on anything specific for conference,” she said. “We are just focusing on one day at a time, like normal. We have a specific practice schedule that we stick to.” The Spartan golfers have specific practices scheduled almost every day. On Monday, the team practices their short game by putting and chipping. Tuesdays consist of a 9-hole game where the coach instructs them to work on particular strokes. “I end up having to make a 5 foot putt, or put a sand shot within 10 feet of me,” said Erfman. The team dedicates Thursdays to hitting on the range and getting their swings tuned up in preparation for tournament play. “We go to the wedge facility and hit five shots within 10 feet from 30 yards all the way to 60 yards,” said Erfman.
Erfman continued to reflect about their game. “My performance so far is going as expected ,” she said. “I knew coming into season that the transition from my high school golf to collegiate golf would be difficult for numerous reasons. I expected to have higher scores in the beginning of the season, but I think I have adjusted well to the new types of courses and the longer distances.”
The Women’s Golf placed third at the Earlham Invitational shooting a 753. Senior Katie Smith ended with the lowest score of 179 on the course to place individually as fifth. Spartans now will compete at the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference to finish off their season. The team looks to head to Keene Trace Golf Club in Nicholasville, Ky. this weekend.