Freshmen have led the way for IU women’s golf all season, which was the case again at the Clemson Invitational.
Freshmen Mary Parsons and Priscilla Schmid have been two of IU’s top golfers this season, and thanks to both of them finishing in a tie for 19th, IU was able to place eighth.
“They’re both really quality players,” IU Coach Clint Wallman said. “They’re big-time players, and it’s fun to watch them.”
Despite just playing in their first year of collegiate golf, both have gained a fair share of experience to this point.
Both have played in all but one tournament this year, and along with playing time, they are also playing in important situations. Each of them has managed two top-10 finishes this season.
“It was a strong field, so getting this experience early gives motivation for the future years and shows us the potential that we have,” Parsons said.
IU extended its streak of top-10 finishes to eight, meaning the Hoosiers have finished in the top 10 for every event this season.
“Throughout the season, going head-to-head with these top teams shows us we can compete with these teams that are ranked,” Parsons said. “It gives us motivation to play better, especially coming to the end of the season.”
IU will have just one more tournament in mid-April before heading to Maineville, Ohio, for Big Ten Championships.
Among the 15-team field were four Big Ten teams along IU, and each placed higher than the Hoosiers.
“It was a great showing by the Big Ten,” Wallman said. “The conference championship is going to be really exciting because there’s a lot of teams that if they have a good week, you never know what’s going to happen.”
Due to the difficulty of the golf course, the tournament was played three days rather than the usual two.
Wallman said the Hoosiers were exhausted after each round, and it would have been tough to play two rounds in day one.
“I just played one shot at a time and didn’t get ahead of myself,” Parsons said. “The course was physically tiring to walk, so you had to take it one shot at a time and select targets wisely.”
For Parsons that mentality to take it one shot at a time has been something that has become a strength as she has gained more experience.
“I’ve dialed back and stuck to the game plan,” Parsons said. “I didn’t try risking new shots or to play the hero shot.”
Junior Erin Harper missed cracking the top 20 by one stroke. Freshman Angela Aung and senior Pear Siriko finished outside the top 50.
