A Quick Huddle: Women’s golf edition

Bella Baff, Associate Sports Editor

Junior Gabrielle Correia tees off

After a two-month break, the Tulane women’s golf team will begin its spring season Feb. 3 at the University Central Florida Challenge, a 54-hole stroke play event in Orlando, Florida.

The Green Wave started out strong in the fall, finishing fourth out of 17 teams at the University of South Alabama Intercollegiate while posting 871 (+7) points with a tournament-high 193 pars. Sophomore Jennifer Rosenberg led the team, tying for sixth place for a tournament total of 214 points.

Unfortunately, Tulane failed to continue its dominance in the following weeks, placing 15th, 11th and 11th respectively in its next three tournaments. Despite the Green Wave’s struggles, the team has plenty of time to make a comeback in the latter half of the season before the American Athletic Conference championship in April.

University of Houston, having won the 2018 AAC championship with a first place ranking, is certainly a team to look out for this season. In the fall, the Cougars were all over the place, finishing 10th, fourth and third in their first three tournaments, but Houston closed the season by placing 10th at Battle of the Beach in San Jose del Cabo, only one place above Tulane.

This season, the Cougars will certainly benefit from the return of senior Leonie Harm, who placed fourth in the AAC championship last year. The Green Wave will next battle the Cougars on Feb. 17 at the Allstate Sugar Bowl Intercollegiate Championship in New Orleans.

The University of Central Florida joined Houston at the top last season, placing second in the AAC, however, UCF has shown some vulnerability, struggling in three of its first four fall tournaments. The Knights will begin their spring season on Jan. 28 at the Florida Challenge before hosting Tulane at the UCF Challenge the first weekend of February. Last year, UCF placed seventh at this tournament.

Though Wichita State University placed only fifth in the AAC last season, the team’s then-senior Taryn Torgerson won the 2018 AAC championship, finishing at 5-under 211. While the Shockers will miss her presence as a player, Torgerson will be back working as a student coach this season. Wichita State performed quite well in the fall, with senior Laine Evans having particularly impressive showings.

Last season, Tulane struggled at the UCF Challenge, placing last in the tournament while posting 916 (+52), despite notching a fourth place finish on the first day. Hopefully the Green Wave will redeem itself this time around and will reverse its luck in the tail end of the season.

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