Colorado women’s golf finished ninth at the GameAbove Invitational after the final round on March 10 at Rolling Hills Country Club in Rolling Hills Estates, California. The Buffaloes posted a team score of 902 over three rounds (304, 299, 299) in a field that included several nationally ranked programs.
The tournament was played on what head coach Madeleine Sheils described as one of the most challenging courses the team has faced this spring. Sheils said the experience of competing against elite competition will help prepare the Buffaloes for postseason play. “This was absolutely one of the best college golf tournaments I’ve ever been to in terms of the hospitality and the effort that went into the event,” Sheils said. “It was also held on a phenomenal golf course in great condition. We’re really grateful for the experience and we want to continue to challenge our players on good golf courses and find these great tournaments.”
Junior Carolyn Fuller led Colorado with a final-round score of 1-over-par 73, finishing at 1-over overall and placing 12th individually. Fuller rebounded from earlier struggles this spring with what Sheils called one of her most complete performances of the season. “She played awesome,” Sheils said. “She wasn’t hitting it the way she wanted in the first three events of the spring, and she put in a ton of energy figuring that out during our break between tournaments. It showed this week she was back in control of her game.”
Vanessa Ngo matched Fuller’s low round for Colorado with a 73, finishing at 14-over for the tournament. Ellen O’Shaughnessy posted a final-round 75 to finish at 12-over, while Teemapat Pateetin carded a closing-round 78 to end at 13-over. Maya McVey rounded out Colorado’s lineup with a final-round score of 78, finishing at 22-over.
Southern California won the team title with an overall score of 842, followed by Texas A&M at 854 and Oregon in third place.
While not satisfied with their placement, Sheils said playing against strong teams provided valuable lessons for her squad moving forward. “It’s not where we’re necessarily excited to be, but it was still a great opportunity for the team,” Sheils said. “The more comfortable we get playing with these teams and on challenging courses that expose your weaknesses, the faster you learn and the better you get.” Looking ahead, Colorado will take a short break before preparing for upcoming events including the Big 12 Championship.
“We’ve had a really busy spring so far,” Sheils said. “It’s time to catch our breath a little bit, reset physically and mentally, and then continue to push forward. Nobody wants to peak in March. We want to keep learning from these experiences and put our foot on the gas in April and May.” The Buffaloes are scheduled to return April 6-8 at the Chevron Silverado Showdown in Napa, California.
