Press "Enter" to skip to content

Golf finishes fourth in MVC Championship

Team effort and a spectacular individual performance placed the Bradley women’s golf team fourth out of 10 teams in the Missouri Valley Conference Championship at the par-72 Sand Creek Station Golf Course in Newton, Kansas. Bradley finished with a score of 909, the third-best conference final score in school history.

The Braves shot 320 on Sunday, battling 30-degree temperatures and 25 mile per hour gusts. At the end of the day, they were tied with Northern Iowa for seventh place. According to head coach Mary Swanson, the team focused on making specific adjustments to improve on the second day.

“There were a couple of holes that we just threw strokes away on, and we specifically discussed strategy on those holes,” Swanson said. “There was a stretch where the golf course was more susceptible to the wind, and we also talked about different strategies there and having a little more [coaching] support there for the players to help them make their decisions.”

On the second day, junior Frankie Saban had a historical performance, shooting 4-under-par 68, the second-best round in program history. The Braves as a whole shot 26-strokes better than Sunday for a score of 294, ascending to fourth place in the standings. Saban said focus powered her performance.

“During Monday’s performance, I felt extremely thankful,” Saban said. “I kept the hole at hand in focus and did not get ahead of myself thinking about the results.”

During Tuesday’s finale, the Braves shot another consistent round of 295. This time, sophomore Taylor Ledwein led the way with a team-best 2-under-par 70. The Braves finished at fourth place, four strokes behind Southern Illinois. Defending champion Missouri State secured their title again, creating a distant gap from the rest of the field at 887.

Swanson said each Brave contributed to the team’s turnaround success, and now it is time to focus on offseason improvements.

“We need to find a way to start better,” Swanson said. “We need to figure out a way to put three rounds together on a tough golf course and tough conditions.”

Swanson said she was optimistic about next season despite losing seniors Ally Scania, Grace Henderson and Abby Wellens. She said players on the current team will enter new roles smoothly.

“I think Frankie took things up a notch,” Swanson said. “I’ve told her she could be the top player in the conference. Between her and the other two juniors, we’re going to have a great senior class and a great group of leaders.”

Copyright © 2023, The Scout, Bradley University. All rights reserved.
The Scout is published by members of the student body of Bradley University. Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the University.