WAIKOLOA VILLAGE, HAWAII – Vanguard women's golf began their island adventure Monday and Tuesday, as the team took part in the Southwest Airlines Hawaii Pacific University Sharks Shootout.  Facing some tough competition, the Lions finished 17th with 637 strokes.  CSU San Marcos beat the field by 13 shots and had the individual champion, Madison Murr, finish three shots under par for the event. 
 
The Course: The Waikoloa Beach Resort Golf facility offers three different nine-hole courses set along the ocean and the lava rock.  The Lakes Nine, Beach Nine, and Kings' Nine all offer different features and challenges, with the Lakes running through the resort, the Beach straddling the ocean, and the Kings' more a links-style layout.  The Kings' Nine is a par 36 and is over 3,500 yards, but the Sharks Shootout used the Beach and Lakes courses, which are both par 35s and are just over 3,200 yards each.
 
What Happened?  Shyla Tigilau, playing in her home state, had the best opening round for the Lions with a 73 (a season-best score), ending tied for 13th.  She had 13 pars and was able to make a birdie on the sixth hole.  Shanaya Neru was second for the Blue and Gold with a 78 to end tied for 57th.  She captured eight pars on Monday and also picked up a birdie on the eighth hole.  Behind her was Zoee Lynch, who shot an 85 on day one to end in 86th, with Brooklyn Motske tied for 87th with a round of 86.  Lynch had seven pars on day one and Motske had eight.
 
Day two saw Lynch reverse course and shine for the Lions with a 74, setting a new season-best and jumping up to a 71st-place finish with a total of 159.  She birdied hole number one and had 12 total pars, including six in a row, ending the event with 19 total pars.  Motske almost shaved off 10 strokes from her day one scorecard, as she earned a 79 on round two.  She deposited 10 pars on Tuesday to give her a total of 18 for the tournament and a final score of 165, ending tied for 83rd.
 
Both Neru and Tigilau finished with rounds of 81 on Tuesday, putting Neru in a tie for 71st and Tigilau in a tie for 51st.  Neru had a birdie on the sixth hole and nine pars on day two to end with two birdies, 17 pars, and a final score of 159.  Tigilau had 10 pars during round two to end with 154 total strokes and 23 pars.
  
What's Next?  The Lions will next compete at the Dennis Rose Intercollegiate Challenge hosted by Hawaii Hilo on October 27-28.