The women’s golf team finished sixth at the Schooner Fall Classic in Oklahoma last week, beating Pepperdine University ranked in the top ten, and other universities ranked among the top 20 teams in the nation. Denver senior Tonje Daffinrud shot a 65 to tie a school record and her own individual record.

“Our team is very competitive. They all push one another to get better and to play their best, which will only make our team better. When we go to play the best teams in the country, we are ready,” said Head Coach Lindsay Kuhle.

The Pioneers also posted a strong performance at the Golfweek Conference Challenge at the Red Sky Golf Club in Vail. DU tied for fourth in the tournament against teams from almost every conference in the country.

“In these past tournaments, we’ve been getting everyone to contribute to the team total score, which has been nice,” Kuhle said.

The Pioneers have two tournaments left this fall. This week, Denver will travel to the University of Texas for the Betsy Rawls Long Horn Invitational. The Pioneers will finish their fall season the last week of October at the Las Vegas Showdown, hosted by the University of Las Vegas.
“Our goals are to just keep getting better and to keep improving. We want to keep playing Denver pioneer golf and to always keep trying our best. We are also looking to have a win outside of our conference, maybe in the regular season. I think overall, [we want to] just improve every tournament and get better,” said Kuhle.

Spring is the official season for women’s golf, with conference play beginning in the end of April.

Highlands Ranch Golf Course has recently become the new home for the Pioneers, where daily practices are held. As for the winter months, when practice cannot be held outside, the Pioneers will be able to practice in the brand new indoor facility, which is currently being constructed in the old weight room in the Ritchie Center. The facility will be finished in January, providing two hitting greens and a putting green that both the men’s and women’s teams can use to practice.
With the unpredictable Colorado weather, the Pioneers have been able to use the elements to improve their game. Having to often play in the rain, snow and wind, the team has been able to hone their skills and to learn to use the weather to their advantage.

“We are able to compete in all conditions, which makes us one of the best teams in the nation,” said Kuhle.

Along with having the skills to play in a wide range of weather conditions, fitness, mental toughness and impeccable ball striking ability are also factors that Kuhle believes makes the Pioneers the powerful team that they are. Currently, the Pioneers are ranked 50th in the nation and are looking to improve their national ranking in the upcoming tournaments.

“We have six competitive players who, at the beginning of this year, were all ranked in the top 600 players in the world. The depth of our team is great. You never know what the line-up will be each week because we have six great players that are always pushing each other to be better. I think that is a huge advantage,” Kuhle said.