By: Clint Neumann
FORT SMITH, Ark. - The University of Sioux Falls women's golf team opened its spring season with a 12th-place finish at the Hardscrabble Invitational, held March 23-24 at Hardscrabble Country Club. The Cougars finished 12th of 14 with a team score of 1001 (337-326-338) on the par-70, 5,988-yard course.
Sioux Falls showed flashes of improvement throughout the tournament, highlighted by a strong second round. Tanna Phares led the Cougars individually, pacing the lineup across all three rounds as USF competed against a competitive 14-team field.
Tournament Snapshot
- Top Cougar Finish: Tanna Phares – T-37th (85-78-81 | 244)
- Lowest Round: Tanna Phares – 78 (+8)
- Team Best Round: 326 (+46) – Round 2
- Tournament Champion: Midwestern State (+59)
- Number of Teams: 14
How It Happened
The Cougars opened the tournament with a 337 (+57) in round one, placing them near the middle of the field after the opening 18 holes. Sioux Falls responded with its best round of the tournament in round two, shaving 11 strokes off its score with a 326 (+46) to show improvement on a demanding layout.
In the final round, the Cougars posted a 338 to close out the event. While the course continued to challenge scoring across the field, Sioux Falls gained valuable early-season experience and showed signs of progress heading into conference play.
Top Cougar Performers
Phares led the Cougars with a 37th-place finish, carding rounds of 85, 78 and 81 for a three-round total of 244. Her second-round 78 marked the lowest score recorded by a Sioux Falls golfer during the tournament and highlighted her ability to adjust after the opening round.
Sophia Karsnia and Avery Nelson each finished tied for 48th with consistent play across the tournament. Karsnia posted rounds of 83, 82 and 86, while Nelson carded rounds of 84, 80 and 87. Abbie Ritzer added rounds of 85, 86 and 86, while Gwen Latunski rounded out the lineup for Sioux Falls.
Cougar Scorecard
Coach's Corner
"It was a disappointing start to our spring as we were feeling good about finally getting on a golf course. Hardscrabble is a difficult venue, and if you aren't on top of your game, it can be a struggle. We're looking forward to next week's conference preview at Adams Pointe, which is going to give us a good idea of how we sit amongst the NSIC teams."
- Head Coach Wade Merry
Up Next
The Cougars will return to action March 30-31 at the NSIC Preview at Adams Pointe Golf Club in Blue Springs, Missouri.
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