The Idaho Vandals women’s golf team improved from the last tournament placing fifth at the Kalispel Invitational held at the Golf Country Club in Spokane. Overall, all the women Vandal golfers improved. Junior Zoe Newell was the team’s best finisher, placing third out of everyone with a final score of -2.
The first round for Newell was good but not great. She scored +2 but she definitely took that round as a warmup because rounds two and three were her best rounds. Newell went even on round two and -4 on round three which was the second-best score for any round out of everyone who participated. Newell’s performance was good enough to earn her Big Sky Conference Golfer of the Week. She joins senior Josh McCartain as the second Idaho golfer to win the award this season.
Sophomore Laura Caamano tied for 22nd with a score of +8 and freshman Ella Kozak tied for 25th with a final score of +9. Freshmen Inkjung Charnchanayothin and Diya Brar rounded it out for the Vandals. Charnchanayothin tied for 35th with a score of +11 and Brar placed 49th finishing with a score of +16.
Newell is a junior at the University of Idaho and showed her experience in the later rounds throughout the tournament. Newell is from Oro Valley, Arizona, where she attended Ironwood Ridge High School. Her past two seasons have also been impressive. During her freshman season, she played in all 30 rounds and has been a key contributor to the team and looks to have a great year.
The next tournament for the team is the Pat Lesser Harbottle Invitational hosted by Seattle University at the Tacoma Country and Golf Club in Lakewood, Washington on Monday, Sept. 29 and Tuesday, Sept. 30.
Taylan Hallum can be reached at [email protected].