The beauty and splendor of Hawaii was a perfect backdrop to host a golf tournament last week. Although beauty can be distracting, it did not hinder the women’s golf team from placing second at the Turtle Bay Resort College Invitational—a spectacular ending for the fall season.
Portland State’s Tiffany Schoning won the medalist honors with a three-under par on the final round of the tournament to finish in first place in the individual standings.
As a team, the Vikings’ second-place finish of 900 (299-304-297) was only three shots behind the winner, Princeton, at 897. PSU’s stroke total at Turtle Bay is the third-best 54-hole score in school history.
Brigham Young with 905 and UC Irvine with 907 took third and fourth places, respectively.
Schoning was tied for sixth place going into the final round and shot five birdies to finish the tournament with 218 (73-76-69), winning by two strokes. Her single-round score of 69 ties her career-best score, earned in the second round of the Circling Raven Invitational in September, and ties for the second-best round in school history.
She was named Big Sky Conference Co-Golfer of the Week alongside senior Alexa Kim from Northern Arizona, who won medalist honors at the Cal Poly/Lamken Grip Invitational. Schoning has placed in the top 10 in four out of the five fall tournaments.
The Vikings had two other players finish in the top 10. Senior Kalyn Dodge earned a career-best of even-par 72 in the second round and finished third overall with 222 (74-72-76). Sophomore Britney Yada finished seventh overall with 225 (75-75-75) and had four birdies in her final round.
Senior Alexa Brown tied for 21st place with 235 (77-81-77) and freshman Loren Forney finished in 38th place with 261 (85-87-89).
Women’s golf will resume its season Feb. 14-15 at the Gold Rush in Yorba Linda, Calif., hosted by Long Beach State. ?