Monday, October 13, 2014

PORTLAND, Ore. - The Saint Martin’s women’s golf team hosted its own invitational last week, and beat the field by 30 strokes. This performance earned the Saints GNAC Red Lion Team of the Week honors.

The Saints finished with a two-round total score of 632, which was 30 strokes less than the runner-up and 63 strokes less than the third place finisher.

After the first day the Saints had a firm 12-stroke lead, carding a 321. SMU dropped another 10 swings off its score on Day 2, finishing at 311, adding 18 more strokes to the lead.

The par 73, 5,800 yard course in Olympia, Wash., was tough on a lot of the competitors as only five rounds of 79 or less were shot in the two-day tournament, but four of the five rounds came from SMU.

“Playing at Olympic Golf and Country Club, it gives us familiarity with the course,” head coach Bob Grisham said. “That helped us going into the tournament.”

Five SMU golfers finish in the top 10 in the tournament, including the Saints three most experienced golfers finishing in the top six. 

Junior Jennifer Liedes, the GNAC Golfer of the Week last week, was the only golfer to finish under par after shooting a 74 and 70 for a two-round score of 144.

“Last year (Liedes) put herself in position to lead tournaments," Grisham said. "She was the leader heading into the second day and played two complete rounds. Her mental adjustments that she made from last year put her into a position to lead and finish.”

Liedes junior teammate, Sarah Salvatori, was also a top five finisher. Salvatori scored an 86 on the first round, but improved by nine strokes on the second, shooting a 77.

Gracie Dyer finished with a consistent two-round score of 82 and 84 for a sixth-place finish.

Liedes is currently third in the GNAC with an average score of 74.2 through five rounds of play while Dyer is in ninth at 80.0.

“Jennifer Liedes, Sarah Salvatori, Gracie Dyer - they’re all coming in with two years of experience," Grisham said. "They have raised their level of play and are starting to meet the expectations that they have set for themselves.”

As a team, the Saints are second in the conference in average score at 315.0 through five rounds, behind only Western Washington’s 300.8.

Chloe Read and Lisa Zelasko were the other two Saints to finish in the top 10. Read finished with an 80 on day two for a seventh place tie, while Zelasko opened with a 79, tying for ninth.

Freshman Kassidy Krug was playing in her first collegiate tournament as an independent. She placed in 22nd with a two-round score of 182.

The Saint Martin’s women’s golf team will take a few weeks off before traveling to Hawaii for the Dennis Rose Invitational on October 27-28.