The Idaho Vandals placed 13th at the Pat Lesser Harbottle Invitational on Oct. 5-6, giving the women’s golf team another chance to compete against a strong field as the fall portion of its schedule moves forward.
The three-round event gave Idaho’s lineup a chance to settle in, make adjustments and see how it could respond over the course of the tournament. While the Vandals finished 13th as a team, several golfers showed improvement, particularly during the final round.
Senior Zoe Newell led Idaho on the individual leaderboard, tying for 40th at 8-over par. Newell opened with a 4-over-par round before recording another 4-over score in the second round. She saved her best performance for the final day, shooting an even-par round to close at 8-over for the event.
Newell’s final-round performance was one of the stronger finishes for the Vandals. After two rounds above par, she was able to put together a more consistent 18 holes and finish the event on a positive note.
Sophomore Diya Brar was next for Idaho, tying for 52nd at 10-over par. Brar opened the event with a 3-over round and followed that with a 1-over performance in the second round. Her second-round score was her best of the tournament before she finished with a 6-over round.
Although the final round was Brar’s highest score of the event, her opening two rounds kept her near the middle of the individual standings and helped Idaho stay competitive within the field.
Junior Ella Kozak finished tied for 59th at 12-over par. Kozak had a difficult start, shooting 7-over in the opening round, but responded with a 3-over score in the second. She continued to lower her score in the final round, posting a 2-over performance.
Kozak’s three-round progression showed her ability to make adjustments after a challenging opening 18 holes. Her final score of 2-over was also her lowest round of the event.
Tang-Hsin Hou tied for 65th at 14-over par. Hou had one of Idaho’s better opening rounds, recording a 1-over score to begin the event. She struggled in the second round with a 10-over score but responded with a 3-over final round.
Hou’s first-round performance gave her a strong position early in the tournament, while her final round allowed her to finish with a lower score after the difficult middle round.
Laura Caamaño finished tied for 75th at 17-over par. Caamaño shot 7-over in each of the first two rounds before improving during the final round. She closed with a 3-over score, cutting four strokes from each of her opening-round scores.
The final round was also an improvement for freshman Fjola Vidarsdottir, who competed individually and tied Caamaño for 75th at 17-over. Vidarsdottir recorded matching 5-over rounds to begin the tournament before finishing with a 7-over score.
The results gave Idaho another look at where its players stand as the team works through the fall schedule. With several golfers recording lower scores in the final round, the Vandals showed some ability to make changes and finish stronger than where they started.
For a team with multiple players gaining experience against collegiate competition, each tournament provides another chance to learn how to handle different rounds and situations. The Pat Lesser Harbottle Invitational added another three rounds of experience for Idaho as the Vandals look toward the rest of their fall schedule.
Idaho will now look to take what it learned from the event into its next stretch of competition. The Vandals will have another chance to build on their individual performances while working toward a stronger team finish in their upcoming tournaments.
The Vandals next golf match will be a three-day tournament in Las Cruses, New Mexico, at the Golf Iconic Classic on Monday, October 12-14.