Kayla Springer | Echo
Following a school-record setting performance last week, the Taylor women's golf team continued their spring season success with a win at the Rock Hollow Invitational last weekend.
After a rocky start on Friday, the team pulled together several impressive scores on Saturday to come from behind for their third consecutive tournament win.
Head coach Cam Andry attributed Friday's struggles to poor decisions on top of bad shots. However, the team was able to bounce back on Saturday, correcting some errors and making better choices to give themselves a chance to win.
"We competed really hard for the entire time, and with each win, we gain more and more confidence moving forward," Andry said.
Taylor was led by a combination of youth and experience, as freshman Maddie Thomas and senior Brittany Pfaff gave two impressive performances for the Trojans. Thomas finished with a score of 81 on Saturday, tying for medalist honors with a two-day total of 159. This was the freshman's sixth consecutive top-6 finish this season.
Pfaff led the Trojans on Saturday, tying for the lowest score of the day at 80, just 8-over par. This gave her a two-day total of 166, ending in a tie for sixth place overall.
The lone senior on a young team, Pfaff will be the first four-year letter winner in the history of the Taylor women's golf program. According to Andry, Pfaff has been through the growing pains of starting a program from scratch. The team started competing as a varsity sport in 2012. Because Pfaff has been with the team nearly since its inception, the women's strong performance is that much more meaningful.
"When I started at (Taylor) four years ago, I never dreamed the team could be this good," Pfaff said. "So I'm really enjoying the success we've had this spring. Yeah, we play as individuals on the course, but it's more rewarding to win as a team. I'm so thankful to have these teammates, and I'm going to miss it next year."
Additionally, notable performances included junior Grace Elenbaas, who ended in a tie for 15th place with a total of 173, and sophomores Raquel Helton and Elizabeth Jackson, who ended with scores of 174 and 179 to finish 17th place and 30th place, respectively.
The Crossroads League Championship tournament is the only scheduled tournament left for the Trojans.Pfaff believes that the team has confidence and momentum on their side as they prepare for their last tournament. Beating rival teams like Indiana Wesleyan, Saint Francis and Bethel has given the women the belief that they are a high-level team capable of competing for the conference title.
Coach Andry is equally excited about the team's potential in the postseason.
"With the Crossroads League Championship coming up, our goal is simple," Andry said. "We want to put ourselves in a position to have a chance to win. We know we have to play well, but if we continue to execute and play the way we've played the last three weeks, I think we can put ourselves in the hunt coming down the stretch."
The Taylor women's golf team is set to tee off in tournament play at 8 a.m. on May 1 at the Eagle Eye Golf Club in Lansing, Michigan.
"Photograph provided by Cam Andry"
