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| Recent Results: MIAC Championships SMU women 7th out of 9 teams / Details Twin Cities Classic SMU men 11th out of 18 teams / Details |
SMU men end season on a high note at T.C. Classic
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Jesse
Polk 79-76-80—235 at T.C. Classic |
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Kate
O'Connor 90-85-87—262 at MIAC |
After all, the Cardinals had enjoyed a stellar fall season, a season that included posting three of the school's best four 18-hole team scores — including a school-record 346 at the Wartburg Invitational — not to mention a school-record 36-hole 709 at the UW-Eau Claire Invitational.
The Cardinals were primed to equal — if not surpass — last year's fourth-place conference finish.
Only one thing stood in the Cardinals' way — Bunker Hills Golf Course.
Unfortunately for SMU, for three days, the course got the best of the Cardinals.
SMU managed just four rounds in the 80s — two each by Katie O'Connor (Orland Park, Ill.) and Katelyn Rizzi (Austin, Minn.) — as the Cardinals struggled to a seventh-place finish, posting a three-day total of 1092.
"It's a little disappointing, because everyone felt confident about where their games were at heading into the weekend," said Stimmel. "The course was definitely much tougher than we expected and we just weren't able to overcome that."
The Cardinals struggled to an opening-round 376 total and never recovered, putting together a 352 Day 2 score, and a final-round 360.
"That first round really hurt us," admitted Stimmel. "We just weren't able to recover."
O'Connor led the way for SMU posting rounds of 90-85-87—262, while Rizzi was six shots back following a 94-87-87—268 effort. Caty Beel (Tucson, Ariz. / 98-90-95—283) and Angie Christiansen (West Salem, Wis. / 97-95-91—283) and Val Meschke (Pine River, Minn. / 95-94-97—286) rounded out SMU's top five.
"All-in-all, it was a good season," concluded Stimmel. "We had some very good performances, as was evident by all the school records we broke, but we also had some not-so-good days, too. I'm happy with the way the ladies performed, and hopefully, we can pick right up where we left off next season."
JUST A WEEK AFTER STRUGGLING TO A NINTH-PLACE finish at the MIAC Championships, the Cardinal men redeemed themselves a bit at the season-ending Twin Cities Classic.
The Cardinals fired a season-best round of 308 during Saturday's opening round of the three-day tournament, then followed that up with a near-repeat performance, carding a Day 2 309. Day 3 wasn't quite as memorable, as Hazeltine GC — home of several professional golf events, including the PGA Championship and U.S. Open — got the better of the Cardinals, as SMU settled for a third-day round of 338.
And an 11th place finish.
"I'm very happy with the way we performed all weekend," said SMU coach Tom Farren of his team's best-ever finish at the Twin Cities Classic. "Everyone was pretty disappointed with the way we played last weekend (at the MIAC Championships) and they were determined to redeem themselves."
Which is exactly what the Cardinals did.
Jesse Polk (Hastings, Minn.) and Josh Wendel (Rosemount, Minn.) led the way for the Cardinals, as Polk posted rounds of 79-76-80 for a 235 total, while Wendel was close behind, firing the team's lowest round of the tournament — a three-over-par 75 on Saturday — en route to a 236 total (75-76-84). Tony Hynes (Lino Lakes, Minn. / 76-76-88—240), Bill Ryan (Western Springs, Ill. / 78-82-86—246) and Scott Savage (Mahtomedi, Minn. / 80-80-88—248) rounded out the Cardinals' lineup.
"I can't say enough about the way these guys played," said Farren. "To bounce back after last weekend's disappointment was great to see. I knew all along that we were capable of putting up numbers like this — it's just too bad it had to come a week too late."