BEAUMONT, Calif. – The Vanguard Fall Invitational returned to the calendar this season as both golf programs hit the Oak Valley Golf Club the past two days. The women scored a 319 on day one and a 325 on day two to net 644 strokes and end fifth at the event. OUAZ won the team title with a 623 and Taylor Wilczek won the individual title for the Spirit with a 147.
Brooklyn Motske was the best placer for the Blue and Gold with a 153, ending tied for fifth.
The Course: The par-72 course of Oak Valley follows the undulating terrain and checks in at just over 7,000 yards from the back but the women played the white tees for a maximum distance of 6,316 yards. Some narrow fairways and well-placed bunkers present the main challenge for the players, while the rough punishes those who miss the fairway.
What Happened? Shanaya Neru was excellent on day one, as she shot a two-over 74. She had a birdie on the ninth and 15th and paired that with 12 pars to end the day tied for third. Motske had a 78 on Tuesday and finished tied for 11th, as she used birdies on the first and sixth hole and 10 pars to stay within striking distance of the top of the leaderboard.
Shyla Tigilau was tied 17th after the opening round, as two birdies and eight pars helped her snag an 81.
Savannah Bennett made her debut for the Blue and Gold at the event and put up an 86 on day one, putting in nine pars and a birdie on the fourth hole. Her score put her in a tie for 27th at the end of the round.
Rachel Chambers was the final Lion to compete for the team score and she had a 92 on day one, with a birdie on the 12th hole and five pars as well.
Emily Avila and
Zoee Lynch played as individuals for the Lions, with Avila netting an 86 and Lynch a 90 for the day.
Motske improved by three shots on day two to pick up a 75, draining 12 pars and birdies on the seventh and 13th holes in the process. Her score was the third-best tally amongst all players on day two. Neru had six pars and a pair birdies for her second round, giving her an 83 for the round and a two-day score of 157, leaving her in 11th place.
Tigilau had 10 pars on day two to collect an 83 as well, giving her a grand total of 164 strokes and placing her in a tie for 20th for the tournament.
Bennett downed nine pars on Wednesday to pocket an 85, putting her in a tie for 27th with a 171. Chambers had nine pars and a birdie on the ninth hole to tally an 84 for round two. That gave her a final score of 176 and put her in a tie for 33rd. Lynch had the biggest improvement on day two, as she dropped her score by nine shots to finish with an 81 on day two. Nine pars helped her to finish with 171 strokes and leap five places into a tie for 27th. Avila had five pars on Wednesday to end with 87 and a total of 173 shots in 31st.
The Lions were the second-best team on par fives, going +11 for the event, and were third in total birdies with 13, tied with Hope International. Motske was tied for the fifth-best performance on par four holes at +5 along with being tied for as the seventh-best player on par five holes at +1. She was also sixth in total pars (22) and tied with Neru for fifth in total birdies (4). Tigilau was even on par five holes at the event to end tied for sixth among all players.
What was Said? Said Head Coach
Jeff Anderson, "I am so thankful that we got to host an event for the first time in three years. I really appreciate all the support from the staff and families who pitched in to make this such a special tournament. I'm super proud of my senior
Brooklyn Motske for two consistent rounds and a top-five finish. She is a leader on our team and she showed that the past two days. This team will be eager to get after it next week in Hawaii and we have two challenging events to test ourselves at."
What's Next? The squad will have a little time to reset before a trip to Hawaii will open with the HPU Sharks Shootout on October 23-25.
