The Idaho women’s golf team faced a tough field earlier this week at The Gold Rush tournament at the Old Ranch County Club in Long Beach, California.
The team finished 12th out of 15 programs with a 70-over-par 934. USC finished first with a score of 1-under-par 863.
Idaho senior Kristin Strankman was awarded the Big Sky Women’s Golfer of the Week title Wednesday afternoon. Strankman tied for 23rd in individual competition with a 10-over-par 226.
“I am extremely proud of Kristin for her Big Sky Player of the Week Honor,” Idaho head coach Lisa Johnson said. “She has elevated her game this year, and we look for her to have many more strong performances this spring.”
Freshman Michelle Kim followed Strankman’s performance with a strong showing of her own. Kim finished in a tie for 38th with a 13-over-par 229.
No. 17 ranked Robyn Ree of USC took home the individual title with a final score of 4-under-par 212.
“Kristin (Strankman) and Michelle (Kim) showed improvement from last week and we are extremely happy with their overall games,” Johnson said.
In the All There August Challenge from Feb. 14-15, Kim finished with a 17-over-par 230. Strankman finished the tournament with a 23-over-par 236.
Despite the improvement on the course, Johnson said the team’s putting and short game could use improvement before the team’s next tournament.
“Putting is such a significant part of the game,” Johnson said. “We need to find ways to overcome our current struggles on the greens. We will bounce back and be stronger for it.”
The Vandals hit the road once again to Fresno to compete in the Fresno State Classic next month.
Mihaela Karst can be reached at [email protected]