Eau Claire, Wis—Louise Buckler (Jr./Blaine, Minn./St. Paul Academy) rode an eagle on the par-5 15th hole to a career-best nine-over par 82, propelling the Carleton College women’s golf team up three spots and into the top five at the conclusion of UW-Eau Claire's Doug Georgianni Memorial.
The Knights fired a final-round 340 at Wild Ridge Golf Club, tied for the eighth-best 18-hole score in team history, and ended the 36-hole event at 683, the fourth-lowest 36-hole score in school history. The total left the Knights fifth overall, behind only third-ranked Gustavus Adolphus, which won with 630, fifth-ranked UW-Eau Claire (633), UW-Eau Claire’s “Gold” team (651) and St. Benedict (665). The Knights beat second-ranked UW-Stevens Point (712), 15th-ranked St. Thomas (700) and 20th-ranked UW-Whitewater (705). The Knights passed both NAIA Viterbo College (Wis.) and UW-Whitewater after trailing each school by four shots heading into the final round.
“For us to put up that kind of score, on that course, was impressive,” Carleton head coach Eric Sieger said. “We battled all day, played smart and were able to make a nice move up the leaderboard.”
Buckler’s day was the highlight for the Knights, as her 82 was a career low, as was her two-day total of 168, which left her tied for 21st. Rookie Hope Keaney (San Anselmo, Calif./Marin Catholic) was Carleton’s top finisher, as she added an 86 to her first-round 79 for a 165 total and a tie for 15th. That score (86) was a theme, as both Laura Knutson (Jr./Edina, Minn.) and Traci Johnson (So./Lakeville, Minn./Lakeville North) posted that same score. It was Traci Johnson’s lowest 18-hole score in her collegiate career, as was her 36-hole total of 175. Kate Johnson (So./Wauwatosa, Wis./Wauwatosa East) rounded out Carleton’s players with a 96, her career best, as she fired a back-nine 44 and tallied a mere 29 putts over the 18 holes.
The day could have been even better for the Knights if not for a bizarre penalty that happened not once, but twice, as Carleton players hit their opponents’ ball, a two-stroke penalty for each instance. “Obviously, that was disappointing, but I seriously doubt it will happen again,” Sieger said. “I think we learned our lesson on that one.”
The good sign for the Knights was the weekend play of Buckler and Traci Johnson. “We knew coming into the season we’d have strong play at the top of our line-up, but Louise and Traci showed us this weekend they’re more than capable of posting really good scores,” Sieger said. “That bodes very well for our program, both in the short and long term.”
The Knights were part of a strong MIAC showing that had five of the top eight finishers from the conference. “I think this weekend might be in indication that there are some very strong teams at the top of the MIAC,” Sieger said. “I think Gustavus is in a class by itself, but St. Benedict, Carleton, St. Olaf, and St. Thomas proved they are national-worthy teams.”
The Knights are back in action at the Wartburg Invitational on Sept. 12-13 at Centennial Oaks Golf Club, the site of the 2008 NCAA Championships.
