From NYU Athletics
After a "rough" opening-round performance on Tuesday, members of the Violets' women's golf team knew they had to perform better during Wednesday's second round. And they did just that.
Competing at the NCAA Division III Championship at the Bay Oaks Golf Club in Houston, TX, the Violets cut 17 strokes off of the their total from round one by shooting 303 overall on Wednesday, May 10. The squad had posted a combined 320 over Bay Oaks' par-72, 5,869-yard course on Tuesday.
"Standard deviation," said Head Coach Brad Johnson. "We didn't play well yesterday, so I'm not surprised how much better we did today."
The Violets began the day in ninth place, but have moved up to sixth following their strong outing. Rhodes College leads the 22-team pack with a two-round score of 601. Williams College and George Fox University are tied for second place with identical 606 scores.
Fifth-place Amherst College is just three strokes ahead of NYU.
Leading the charge on Wednesday for the Violets was junior Alyssa Poentis, who made five birdies (including consecutive ones on the first two holes) and shot par-72 after carding an 80 on Tuesday. She is currently tied for 15th place.
"Alyssa played steadier today," Johnson explained. "She had some swings yesterday that put her into a lot of trouble. Today, she was able to navigate things a lot better."
Sophomore Jenni Bluetling was the team's second low scorer, carding a 73 to improve by nine strokes over Tuesday. She also recorded five birdies and is now tied for 20th place.
"I think we got the nerves out of the way today and just focused more on our game and the way we usually play," Bluetling said. "I gave myself a lot of chances. Hit some good tee shots on the par 3's and some good wedges, but I know there is still room for improvement."
Also showing significant improvement on Wednesday was freshman Arisa Kimura, who shot 78 after an opening-round 81. NYU's fourth scorer was sophomore Patty Treevichaphan, who finished with an 80 after an opening 79. Both golfers are tied for 34th place.
Kristin Lee's 86 on Wednesday did not count toward the team scoring.
"Playing in the morning, there was less wind for the players to deal with," Johnson revealed. "Yesterday we played in the afternoon when the wind picks up, which can cause a lot of issues on this golf course."
Overall, 116 golfers are competing.