BYU women’s golf wrapped up its fall season on a high note, placing fifth overall at the Rainbow Wahine Invitational in Lihue, Hawaii on Oct. 22.
The Cougars posted rounds of 292, 293 and 287 for a three-round total of 872, marking their best team performance of the fall schedule and closing out the semester with a bang.
Coach Carrie Roberts said she was proud of how her team closed out the fall season with confidence and consistency.
“We’re happy with the top-five finish to end the fall,” said Roberts. “I’m proud of the girls for stepping up and competing a little bit more like we know how.”
Junior Maria Jose “MJ” Barragan led the Cougars with a standout performance, finishing 10th individually at 2-under-par after recording a 1-under 71 in her final round. It marked her seventh career top-10 finish as a Cougar.
“It was all about trusting in the number and the club I was going to hit and commit to it,” Barragan said. “I feel my numbers with my irons were pretty good, so I was giving myself opportunities for birdie all the time. Even though I didn’t make a lot, I stayed pretty patient. This offseason, I want to focus on my short game, to score better and be able to shoot more under par.”
Sophomores Ava Schroeder and Kanyanol “Naji” Aramkul both finished tied for 18th place at 2-over-par. Schroeder finished off her tournament with a 3-over 75, while Aramkul shot a 2-under 70 in the final round and led the Cougars in total birdies with nine.
Senior Lily McCauley tied for 47th at 8-over-par after a steady 1-over-par final round, and junior Whitney Banz tied for 70th at 12-over-par after also shooting 1-over-par.
The Cougars’ final-round of 287 was one of the lowest team scores of the day and reflected their growth throughout the fall season. After a series of consistent team finishes, BYU closed the semester with back-to-back top-10 results, showing strong momentum heading into spring.
Roberts said the team plans to use the winter break to fine-tune its game and return sharper for the spring schedule.
“We’re excited in January to clean up a few things so we can come ready in the spring,” Roberts said.
With solid performances from players like Barragan and Schroeder, BYU’s fall season showed promise for what’s ahead.
The Cougars will return to action at the Collegiate Invitational at Guadalajara in Guadalajara, Mexico, on Jan. 30–31.