Coming off a moderately successful fall, the women’s golf team gears up for a challenging spring season. Credit: Courtesy of Ohio State Dept. of Athletics
After finishing 13th at the UCF Challenge, head coach Lisa Strom and the Ohio State women’s golf team knew they would have to improve in their next outing, and this week, they did just that.
Ohio State placed sixth out of 14 teams at the Westbrook Invitational in Peoria, Arizona, Sunday and Monday. The Buckeyes were in 11th after two rounds, but they improved five spots on the final day, securing their best finish of the spring so far.
Strom said her players were not satisfied after a disappointing first two rounds, emphasizing the key to their improvement was how her players prepared their swings in the final 18 holes.
“Our final round saw a lot of great things out there,” Strom said. “When I was around players, there was a lot of good work in their pre-shot routine, and that was our main focus that final day.”
Ohio State was led by freshman golfer Faith Choi, who tied for 17th — her best individual finish since joining the team.
In the first round Sunday, the Buckeyes started strong as junior golfer Lauren Peter hit a birdie and an eagle in her first five holes. However, Ohio State struggled the rest of the day, ending the first two rounds with 39 bogeys and three double bogeys.
The Buckeyes finished Sunday 7-over 593 — 16 strokes behind the tournament’s eventual winner, Mississippi State.
Despite the setback, the Buckeyes came back Monday, having the best performance of any team, shooting 6-under 282 to secure their sixth-place finish.
Choi made five birdies and just one bogey in the final round, shooting 4-under 68, which tied for the best individual performance of the round.
Choi said a Sunday-night meeting with the team, as well as former Ohio State golfer Jaclyn Lee — who accompanied the team to the tournament — helped her stay calm and finish strong. She said this outcome will hopefully propel her to even better outings in the future.
“I was a lot more relaxed, just playing my game and sticking to our game plan,” Choi said. “This is a really big confidence booster going for me and going into the next few events.”
Strom said the team enjoyed the improved finish but will continue to hone in on its skills to place even higher in its next outing.
“We’re still going to keep doing what we’ve been doing, still got to keep putting in the work, keep showing up, giving that 100 percent effort,” Strom said.
Ohio State’s next tournament is the Northrop Grumman Invitational at the Palos Verdes Golf Club in Palos Verdes Estates, California, March 13-15. The Buckeyes last played in this tournament in 2020, finishing tied for 15th.
