The Gophers women’s golf team’s streak of improving is over.
It had bested its season-low score in the previous two events before this weekend, a run that ended at Ohio State’s Lady Buckeye Invitational.
Minnesota finished seventh out of 11 teams and shot a 79-over-par 943 during the three-round tournament at the Ohio State University Golf Club’s Scarlet Course.
OSU was the only team to break 900 and won its home event for the 14th time. The Buckeyes shot 894.
“It was a really tough golf course,” head coach Michele Redman said. “We hung in there … it was a good course for us to play going into the Big Ten next week.”
The tough course and crummy weather led to high scores for basically every golfer, Redman said.
Sophomore Banchalee Theinthong turned in the most impressive performance for Minnesota this weekend. Theinthong finished tied for fourth and shot 76-75-77 — 228. Theinthong has been the Gophers’ most consistent golfer this season and was averaging a team-low 78.75 strokes per round before this weekend’s tournament.
“I think it was big for her; I think she’s in a good chance to get into [NCAA] regionals,” Redman said. “She knows that she needs a couple good finishes for that to happen, and that was one of her goals.
“She beat a lot of really good players this week,” Redman added. “So that was fun to watch.”
The fourth-place tie was Theinthong’s best result this season. Her previous best result was her 18th-place tie at the Lady Northern in the fall portion of the schedule.
Jackie Shepherd and Carmen Laguna finished in the top 30 in the 69-person field for Minnesota.
Six golfers competed for each team with the top four scores counting toward the team scores.
Ohio State’s Rachel Rohanna carded a three-round score of 212 and was the lowest-scoring individual of the weekend.
The Lady Buckeye Invitational was the Gophers’ final regular-season event. Minnesota will travel to French Lick, Ind., for the Big Ten championships April 27-29.
With eight of the conference’s 12 teams competing this weekend in Columbus, Ohio, the Lady Buckeye served as a good preview for next weekend’s conference championships.
The Gophers finished behind Ohio State, Michigan State and Northwestern and in front of Iowa, Nebraska, Penn State and Illinois.
