The DU women’s golf season is officially in full swing.
The team played in their first tournament, the Dick McGuire Invitational, hosted by the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque on Sept. 15 and 16.
After the three-day 54-hole tournament, DU finished 10th out of 18 teams with a score of +29. After the first two rounds, DU stood in 12th. After the third and final round, the Pioneers moved into the top ten.
Denver junior Elyse Smidinger had a great last day in the tournament, shooting three under par. Smidinger shot a double eagle on the 18th hole, which was a tournament highlight for her and the team. Smidinger was also +3 overall for the tournament.
Junior Isabel Southard finished under par (-1) on the final day and was also +6 for the entirety of the tournament.
For the first tournament of 2014 season, the Pioneers performed extremely well. Rachael Watton, who is originally from Edinburgh, Scotland, is the only senior on Denver’s team, and she is looking to bring past experience and leadership to the relatively young squad this year. DU has two sophomores on the team, including Mariell Bruun from Norway and Jessica Carty from Northern Island. Aside from Smidinger, there is one other junior on the team. Isabel Southard originally transferred from Boston College but will now be helping DU bring home some wins.
DU’s women’s golf team has two new freshmen this year. Aleana Grouenhout is from Kirkland, Wash. She was very successful in high school, winning MVP all four years. Her success on the golf course is sure to continue at DU. Freshman Jessica Dreesbeimdieke is from Namibia and already has an incredibly impressive résumé. Dreesbeimdieke was ranked no. 1 on the Namibian Ladies and Namibian Junior Girls Order of Merit for 2012 and 2013. She also won the African Trophy at the Junior British Open in 2012 and the A-Division at the World Amateur Golfers Championship the same year. Dreesbeimdieke will be a huge asset to the team moving forward into the season.
DU is now preparing for its next tournament, the Golfweek Conference Challenge, on Sept. 22 -24. The Golfweek Conference Challenge will take place in Wolcott, Colo.
