It has been nearly three and a half months since Virginia women’s golf has competed in an official collegiate matchup. The Cavaliers attempted to shake off the rust Friday in Mexico in a two-day, 54-hole outing at the Collegiate Invitational at Guadalajara Country Club, where the elevation sits just under 5,200 feet. Virginia hosted the 12-team tournament, dueling with other schools such as No. 19 Oklahoma State and Florida State.
Virginia comfortably placed fourth at 15-over-par, six strokes behind Houston’s third-place finish. Florida State won the tournament for the third straight year, rallying a score of four-under on the final 18 holes to close the door on Oklahoma State — which had a five-stroke lead to kick off Saturday — by three strokes.
Despite a rocky start to the first round Friday, shooting nine-over-par, the Cavaliers completed the final nine of the day strong, cutting back the deficit by three strokes. Virginia was well within reach of a win, concluding 27 holes of play tied for second place.
Despite this, the Cavaliers once again started the day with a weak round of play. In the first nine holes of the last half of the 54-hole tournament, Virginia squashed its momentum, going six-over-par. The performance essentially put a win out of reach while opening the door for more consistent squads to capitalize — the Cougars and Seminoles took advantage with five- and four-under-par final rounds, respectively.
The invitational was not solely governed by mediocre play by the Cavaliers, however. After finishing three-over-par in the first round, junior Jaclyn LaHa was particularly impressive. She tied the best 18-hole round of her collegiate career with a 67 on her second round, recording five-under-par. LaHa continued to strike in the final round, ultimately carding 213 total strokes and going three-under to finish tied for second in the tournament, two strokes behind the leader, senior Carmen Lim of Washington.
Four Cavaliers ranked in the top 30 of individual players, showcasing consistent individual finishes. Sophomore Kennedy Swedick performed her best in the first round at three-under, ultimately tying for 23rd by Saturday’s end. Freshman Yuuki Takada, who played as an individual, tied for 32nd at 11-over following a hot start. She was tied for fourth on the individual leaderboard through the first 27, notching a score of 3-under at 105 total strokes after day one.
All the teams that finished above Virginia on the leaderboard combined for eight-under-par in the match’s final 18 holes, compared to the Cavaliers’ three-over. With four newcomers and only two returners to this tournament from last season, putting up steady numbers with greens as tricky as Guadalajara CC’s is no small feat. But, if the Cavaliers can find a rhythm in their final rounds, it could be the saving grace to give their season life come April. For now, Virginia women’s golf must focus on building a more consistent, tournament-ready team, in which any player is ready to step up and propel the team forward.
The Cavaliers return to action Feb. 15 for a three-day tournament at the Moon Club Invitational in Suntree Country Club in Melbourne, Fla., hosted by Louisville.
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