The Fort Lewis College women’s golf team got off to a sizzling start to the fall season.
FLC attended the Samuel Proal Invitational at Pueblo Country Club and finished fourth out of 10 teams. FLC combined to shoot 652 across two rounds for a score of 76-over-par.
That was four shots behind third-place Colorado Mesa University. Host CSU-Pueblo won the tournament at 37 over. University of Colorado-Colorado Springs was second at 44 over.
CSU-Pueblo’s Orakoran Thirayatorn and Dodge City Community College’s Napaknaree Sirithorn tied for first at 5-over 149.
Thirayatorn shot rounds of 71 and 78, while Sirithorn shot 73 and 76.
Isabella Martinez finished tied for eighth for FLC. She shot 77 and 79 to finish 12 over in a three-way tie inside the top 10. FLC’s Summer Vigil was alone in 11th.
She improved seven strokes from round to round with an 82 and a 75 to finish 14 over.
Also for FLC, Sophie Schwartz was 34th at 25 over, Emilia Manntz was tied for 35th at 26 over, Shleby Hindes tied for 43rd at 34 over, and Durango High alumna Reiley Waldo tied for 46th at 36 over.
Up next for the FLC women is the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Fall Preview Sept. 16-18 at Tiara Rado Golf Course in Grand Junction.
Zane Sauer’s top-20 finish was the highlight for the FLC men’s golf team in the season-opening tournament, the Sam Proal invitational, played at Walking Stick Golf Course in Pueblo.
Sauer opened with a 1-under-par 71 in the first round. He followed with rounds of 75 and 74 to finish in a three-way tie for 17th at 4 over.
Tyler Blohm also gave FLC some strength with a 71 and 73 in the first two rounds before an 80 in the final round sent him into a tie for 24th at 8 over.
Matt Huntley shot three consistent rounds to finish in a tie for 28th at 9 over.
Still, FLC finished seventh out of eight teams in the tournament at 33 over. CSU-Pueblo won the tournament at 12 under, and New Mexico Junior College was second at 10 under. Half of the teams in the field were under par.
Also for FLC, Darren Edwards shot two rounds in the 80s before a final-round 72 to finish tied for 43rd at 18 over. Jack Call was consistent with rounds of 77, 80 and 79 to finish in 46th at 20 over.
The FLC men won’t play again until the Western New Mexico University Fall Intercollegiate to be held Oct. 1-2 at the University of New Mexico Championship Golf Course in Albuquerque.
jlivingston@durangoherald.com
