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 provided Colorado with an opportunity to compete against elite competition and play on what head coach Madeleine Sheils described as one of the most challenging courses the team has faced this spring. “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 73, finishing at 1-over-par overall and placing 12th individually. Sheils praised Fuller’s performance, saying, “She played awesome. 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 for Colorado’s low round of the day with a 73, finishing at 14-over for the tournament.
Other contributors included Ellen O’Shaughnessy (75 in final round, +12 overall), Teemapat Pateetin (78, +13), and Maya McVey (78, +22). Southern California won the team title with an overall score of 842, followed by Texas A&M at 854 and Oregon at 874.
Reflecting on their placement among strong competition, Sheils said: “It’s not where we’re necessarily excited to be, but it was still a great opportunity for the team. 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 to postseason play including the Big 12 Championship, Sheils added: “We’ve had a really busy spring so far. 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 will return to action April 6-8 at the Chevron Silverado Showdown in Napa, California.
