The women’s golf team placed sixth at last weekend’s Hawkeye Intercollegiate at Finkbine Golf Course thanks in part to a strong performance from sophomore Breanne Neufeld.
“I was glad to see Breanne play some good golf,” coach Bo Ryan said. “She was overdue.”
On the way to her second top-20 showing of the year, Neufeld totaled 233 shots during the three-round tournament and she took home a share of 12th place overall. Her final round of 76 was Bradley’s lowest round of the tournament and Neufeld’s season low as well.
“When she can start getting putts to fall, she can put up some pretty good scores, and that’s what she did,” Ryan said
Neufeld is the latest underclassman to step up for the Braves, building on freshman Kelly Amundrud’s 14th-place finish at the Johnie Imes Invite two weeks ago. With such a young team, Ryan said he is encouraged to see the young players pulling their weight.
“We have been playing great golf in the 1-4 positions, and the young members of the team are a big part of that,” Ryan said.
Senior Bari Erais finished three shots behind Neufeld at 236 (81-77-78) and, as a result, just missed earning the Braves another top-20 finish, settling into a three-way tie for 23rd place.
Amundrud was next in scoring for Bradley carding a three-day total of 237 (80-80-77) and gaining sole possession of 26th place.
“We are still a long way away from where we need to be, but I was happy with how we played this week,” Ryan said.
Sophomore Caitlin Deeken and senior Lauren Downing rounded out Bradley’s scoring for the weekend with Deeken taking 46th place at 242 and Downing finishing 86th at 269.
Freshman Keegan Ryan played as an individual in the tournament and she took home 69th place with a total of 252, including a second round 80.
Ball State was the low team of the tournament, beating Iowa by five shots and totaling a score of 921. Drake’s Olivia Lansing was the individual medalist of the weekend with a score of 222 (71-76-75).
In addition to pitting the Braves against three Big 10 schools, this weekend’s tournament also featured four other Missouri Valley Conference teams Bradley is sure to see again this season.
The Braves finished five shots ahead of Drake, who took 8th place overall, and well ahead of Creighton, the last-place finisher of the tournament. However, the Braves fell by four shots to conference rival ISU, who finished 5th. Bradley also finished 19 shots behind the 3rd-place Northern Iowa.
The Braves will be in action again Oct. 20 and 21 at the MVC Preview in Panora, Iowa.
