After strong fall seasons, the TCU men’s and women’s golf teams entered the competitive spring season with high hopes that the tournaments they have played in so far will give them valuable experience for the upcoming Mountain West Conference Championships.
The No. 22 TCU women’s golf team made a mark at the MWC Championship in Seaside, Calif., on the Black Horse Golf Course. The lineup consisted of freshman Louise Kristersson, sophomores Rachel Raastad and Brooke Beeler, junior Melissa Loh and senior Valentine Derrey.
Raastad, ranked No. 60 in the nation, was second individually to lead TCU to a second-place finish after Saturday’s final round of the championship. She posted TCU’s best finish since Derrey was the runner-up as a freshman in 2007. Raastad was four shots behind medalist Jodi Ewart, ranked No. 6 in the nation, of New Mexico.
With a 907, the Horned Frogs finished nine shots behind No. 21 New Mexico. During the final 36 holes, TCU had a seven-stroke advantage over the Lobos. However, a 16-shot deficit after Thursday’s opening round proved too much to overcome.
Derrey tied for tenth individually. During the final two days, Beeler shot a 76 and 73 to finish in a tie for the No. 8 spot, which was her second consecutive top-10 finish at the MWC Championship. Kristersson and Loh tied for No. 12 and No. 16, respectively.
The Horned Frogs have now finished either first or second in 11 of their past 13 conference tournaments. Seeking its 15th consecutive postseason appearance, TCU waits to hear if it will be awarded a bid to the NCAA Regionals in May.
TCU men’s golf program had its final tournament before the MWC Championships as the Horned Frogs traveled to College Station for the Aggie Invitational held at the Traditions Club. The first two rounds were held Saturday; the third and final round was Sunday.
For the Aggie Invitational, here was a six-man squad counting five scores instead of the typical five-man lineup counting four scores. The Horned Frogs, ranked No. 18, were represented by senior Travis Woolf, juniors Tom Hoge and Scott Roudebush, sophomores Johan de Beer and Eli Cole and freshman Daniel Jennevret.
TCU posted a three-round score of 1,094 to finish No. 6 overall at the Aggie Invitational. Woolf was the Frogs’ top golfer at the invitational as he recorded a 1-under-par score of 215 (75-71-69), including a 3-under-par score of 69 in the final round of action. Cole finished No. 38 overall following a score of 221 (73-77-71), including a 1-under-par score of 71 on the final 18 holes of action. De Beer, Hoge and Jennevret each tied for No. 43 overall with a score of 222, and Roudebush notched a score of 224 (79-74-71) to tie for No. 54 overall.
The TCU men’s golf team will return to action at the MWC Championships in Tucson, Ariz., beginning May 6.