Missed putts cost the IU women’s golf team as it struggled at the Westbrook Invitational this past weekend in Peoria, Arizona.
The Hoosiers finished at 19 over par after ending the first two rounds at 13 over Sunday. Just like head coach Clint Wallman said he had planned for, the nature of the course was vulnerable as nine of the 16 teams finished under par. IU placed 16th out of 16 schools in the two-day tournament.
“Everyone was disappointed with the results,” Wallman said. “We should be. We’re much better than that.”
Three freshmen played in the tournament since junior Priscilla Schmid and sophomore Alexis Miestowski were injured. Despite the lack of experience, Wallman said he wanted the team to convert more shots, especially on the green.
“Getting experience is one thing, but you also had your chance to step in and make your mark,” Wallman said. “Our conversion putt percentage was very low. We just didn’t make putts and the scores were higher because of that.”
One of the freshmen, Anni Eisenhut, was a bright spot for the Hoosiers this weekend. After going one over par through the first 36 holes, she fired a bogey-free round to score her collegiate record 68 and finish 19th overall at three under par.
Eisenhut hit 100% of the greens in regulation Monday. After another impressive tournament, she credited her focus and experience to let her bounce back after tough rounds.
“Yesterday, a lot of putts didn’t fall including some lip outs,” Eisenhut said. “But today, I felt more comfortable and made more which I felt better about.”
Another high point was senior Emma Fisher’s eagle on the 15th hole in the second round. On the par four, she drove the ball more than 250 yards onto the green and converted the eagle putt.
IU will be on the road again this week to compete for the Hurricane Invitational title in Coral Gables, Florida, on Monday. Wallman said he is hoping that Schmid and Miestowski are healthy and ready to go but realizes that he might need to lean on underclassmen again. This time, Wallman is expecting more success.
“Are we going to be better for this as these players mature? Absolutely,” Wallman said. “But it certainly doesn’t help the here and now.”
