SuppliedThis year at nationals, the Golden Bears and Pandas had the most players make the individual cut without having the teams make their cuts.
The 2015 Canadian University/College Golf Championships were held May 26 to 29 at the Cutten Fields course in Guelph, Ontario.
“A little disappointed we didn’t make the cut,” Head Coach Robin Stewart said. “But at the same time we were really quite close and a little more depth-wise we would have been fine.”
To make the fourth and final round of the championship, teams had to finish within the top 10 for men and top six for women. The Pandas barely missed, finishing seventh of 12, while the Golden Bears tied for 14th of 20. The tournament victors were the UBC Thunderbirds on the men’s side and the Université de Montréal Carabins on the women’s.
“It was just a really weird year because both teams missed the team cut but five out of the … eight athletes technically made the individual cut,” Stewart said. “So we’re just so close to being where we want our minimum to be.”
The Golden Bears brought a team of five to Guelph, composing of Thomas Fuhr, Connor Grimes, Quinn Bunten-Walberg, Sam Di Pinto, and Hayden Smith. Fuhr finished 20th with a score of 293, achieving the Golden Bear’s lowest individual score of the season. Grimes tied for 45th with a 298, while Bunten-Walberg tied for 52nd with a 300. Di Pinto and Smith both missed the cut.
The Pandas brought three players to Guelph: team captain Kristin Lee, Diane Strang, and Krystin Kurio. Strang made the cut at 16th, scoring 320 — like Fuhr, setting the team’s highest individual score. Lee tied for 17th with a score of 321. Kurio, who experienced flu symptoms near the end of the competition, didn’t make the cut.
Lee will continue as team captain when the golfers return in the fall.
Stewart said the U of A’s golf program has improved phenomenally over the past ten years, which should continue into the future. With funding from a newly-secured next year, the program will be able offer scholarship money with the hope of attracting top-end players.
The golf program is also currently trying to work with the U of A and the Faculty of Physical Education and Recreation to build an indoor training facility, which would allow the roster to train in the winter. Such a facility would help attract high-end players.
The team’s experience should help next time at nationals, Stewart said. A lot of next year’s returning players have gone to nationals in previous years, and will have a better idea of what to expect in 2016. Experience is important in helping players handle the pressure they put on themselves and the pressure of being at a national championship, he said.
“We just have to be consistent, more consistent than we are. And that just comes with experience, it comes with (the players) realizing (they are) good enough to play at this level,” Stewart said. “And all of our guys are, there’s no doubt about it. Same thing with our ladies.”
The Golden Bears and Pandas golfers will return to play for the university in September for the fall season.
