At the Culturame Women’s Classic on October 15 and 16, junior Whitney Hobbs led the Biola women’s golf team with a score of 171. Individually, she tied for 15th place, while the team placed seventh overall. The tournament was held at the Pumpkin Ridge Golf Course in North Plains, Oregon.
Hobbs and fellow teammate Megan Anderson both hail from Washington, so playing near their homes was an exciting experience. Both recorded improved scores from the last tournament, even though this tournament was much more competitive. Hobbs shot an 89 the first round and an 82 the second round for a total of 171. Sophomore Claire Prentice recorded a final score of 197, freshman Megan Anderson finished at 203, and freshman Beth Williams shot 225.
“We are growing as a team, and everyone is making goals, meeting them, and even exceeding them; it is so great to watch them reach their goals,” Hobbs said, reflecting the spotlight onto her teammates. “As a team we are growing together and learning a lot, while loving the game at the same time.” The team played through some tough stretches, but Hobbs feels that many positive things came out of it.
This was only the team’s second tournament in school history. The Eagles are making strides toward improvement with every tournament. Coach Hank Woodrome is helping to guide this young team and program. “He’s a fantastic coach. He’s helped everybody in some fashion, in one way or another,” Hobbs said of Woodrome.
Overall, the team did well as they battled cold weather conditions, which contrasted the extreme heat they faced during first tournament. In addition, the course was one of the toughest they will face this season—it’s said to be one of the most strenuous courses in the NAIA.
The tournament was won by NCAA Division II University of Hawaii-Hilo, which had a team score of 626. The team was led by Dayna Bersamin, whose four-over-par 148, eight strokes ahead of anyone else, easily earned her the win.
This was a busy weekend for the Biola women’s golf team. After the Culturame Women’s Classic ended on Saturday, they did not have time to rest before they competed in the two-day Cal State University Monterey Bay Fall Invitational in Monterey on Monday, Oct. 18. It was held at the Black Horse Course and is considered comparable to the Pumpkin Course for the one of the more difficult courses on the schedule. These two tournaments brought a close to this season’s fall games.
