The men’s golf team won first place on April 23, so the team will move on to the NCAA Division III Championships in May. The women’s golf team took third place in the Northwest Conference Championship Tournament on April 22 and 23.

After the first round on the first day, the men had a six-stroke lead against Whitworth University with a score of 301. The team ended the tournament strong and took the lead with a final score of 595. Whitworth followed behind with 611, and University of Puget Sound took third with a score of 617.

Junior Alex Fitch led the team with a first-place score of 142. Senior Yutaro Sakamoto was two strokes behind and landed in third place with a final score of 144. Sophomore Josh Kay shot 153 and tied for eighth with Whitman College senior Brian Barton.

“Our team this year has always been capable of doing some great things,” Fitch said. “Our strength is showing up to the big tournaments and playing well. We didn’t let how the other teams we were playing distract us, so we did a good job of playing our game and taking care of business.”

The men’s team’s goal is to finish in the top-10 at nationals, Fitch said.

“There is tough competition at nationals, so we are just going to go down there, have fun and see how we match up against the nation’s best.”

The Championships will take place in Greensboro, N.C., on May 10-13.

At the end of the first day, the women sat in third place with a score of 329, closely followed by Whitworth with 335. The team finished the tournament with a total of 658, a short five strokes behind Whitman.

“I thought the NWC Championships went extremely well,” senior Katie Kilborn said. “We posted one of our best scores ever.”

Senior Brynn Hurdus, who shaved three strokes off her first-day score of 79, tied for second with George Fox sophomore Kelsey Morrison for a total of 155. Kilborn finished in a three-way tie with seniors Sarah Askin from George Fox and Natalie Nakamine of Puget Sound, all scoring 162. Sophomore Brinn Hovde placed 18th with a total of 170. Freshman Ali Smith finished one stroke behind Hovde.

The team is happy about how the season turned out. Hurdus, who will graduate this spring, had a few words for her teammates.

“Just keep working hard, enjoying the game and thinking positively,” she said. “I have so much faith in every one of you and know the team can and will do great things. Golf takes an incredible amount of effort, strength and patience, but the results are so rewarding when you put in the time. You can do it. Just believe it.”

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Kelsey Sutton/Staff reporter
Kelsey Sutton can be reached at linfieldreviewsports@gmail.com.

The men’s and women’s golf teams took third place during the Pacific Spring Invitational on April 16 and 17. The teams are headed to the Northwest Conference Championships April 22 and 23 in hopes of another Northwest Conference title.

At the end of the first day of the invitational, the men sat in fourth place with a score of 313. By the second day, the team finished in third place with a final score of 608.

Junior Alex Fitch took fourth place with an overall score of 148. Senior Yutaro Sakamoto scored one stroke less than Fitch, tying for 5th with University of Puget Sound golfer, Collin Wulff. Sophomore Josh Kay placed 10th, with a score of 152.

“We’ve got a good chance at winning the conference,” Sakamoto said. “If we do what we’re supposed to do this weekend, we can make it to nationals. I’m looking forward to that opportunity again.”

The men’s team has won first place in two tournaments this season.

“As long as we don’t get carried away, we can hopefully come back with a win. It’s just a matter of believing in ourselves,” Sakamoto said.

The women tied with Whitworth University for second place during the first round of the invitational. The team was bumped into third place with a score of 715 after the second day.

“As a team, we have been sort of struggling. We haven’t quite performed up to our ability. I hope this weekend we can show everyone what were capable of,” sophomore Brinn Hovde said.

Senior Brynn Hurdus tied for third place and led the team with a score of 147. Senior Katie Kilborn scored 182 and finished in 14th place. Hovde shot a score of 189 and tied for 19th. Both one stroke away from Hovde, freshman Ali Smith and junior Lydia Smith tied for 21st place.

As for the NWC Championships ahead, the team is hopeful.

“We’ve definitely been practicing really hard this week. We know this tournament counts more than anything else,” Hovde said. “We hope to get our scores pretty low so we can get back to where we know we can be.”

Ali Smith had similar positive thoughts about the coming weekend and the strength of the team.

“I think we have a pretty good chance playing well this weekend,” Ali Smith said. “We all encourage each other. Even when we’re having a tough day, we have the support of our team. It makes us all better players.”

The women’s NWC Championships will take place April 22 and 23 at Columbia Point in Richland, Wash., and the men will play at Canyon Lakes in Kennewick, Wash.

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Kelsey Sutton/Staff reporter
Kelsey Sutton can be reached at linfieldreviewsports@gmail.com.

After a delayed start to the season, the Linfield women’s golf team played two tournaments this past month. The men’s team continued its spring season, playing three tournaments. Both teams played at the Pacific Lutheran University Invitational on March 13 and 14 and the Northwest Conference Spring Classic on April 3. The men played the Kingsmen Invitational on March 29.

At the PLU Invitational, the men came in first out of three teams with an overall score of 610. PLU followed with a score of 646, and Puget Sound University had a score of 653.

Freshman A.J. Taylor shot 152, landing himself in first place. Junior Alex Fitch followed close behind after shooting 153. Sophomore Josh Kay came in fourth with a score of 155.

The men finished 11th overall out of 14 teams at the Kingsmen Invitational on March 29. The final score was 1,002. Fitch was the only Linfield top-10 finisher at the invitational.

Fitch tied for second with Whitworth University freshman Jesse Salzwedel, shooting a total score of 234. Linfield senior Yutaro Sakamoto was 38th with a total of 252.

“We’ve had some difficult playing conditions. We were a little disappointed with how we played in California at the Kingsmen Invitational, but overall I’m pleased,” men’s team head coach Greg Copeland said. “We’ve got a solid group of guys.”

The men won the NWC Spring Classic, finishing first of nine teams with a score of 625. Puget Sound followed with 634, and Pacific University came in third with a final score of 636.

Four of Linfield’s men placed in the top 10. Sakamoto placed second after shooting 151. Fitch came in fourth place with a score of 156.

“We need to be more consistent in all areas. We need to find the club that consistently finds the fairway for each individual guy,” Copeland said.

The women’s team, which scored 698, was beat by four strokes by Whitworth during the PLU Invitational. Puget Sound followed behind with a score of 739, and PLU scored 778.

Senior Brynn Hurdus landed in second place after she shot 159 — beaten by a close, single stroke. Sophomore Brinn Hovde came in fifth place with a score of 176. Senior Katie Kilborn placed ninth with 180.

Linfield came in fifth of seven teams during the NWC Spring Classic on April 2 with a collective score of 733. Hurdus placed third after shooting 166. Kilborn landed in 18th with 182.

“The main obstacle holding us back now is our consistency as a team. I am so proud of my teammates and have seen so much growth this year, but I know the potential remains for the Linfield
women’s golf team to take the conference championship,” Hurdus said.

Next up, both teams will head to the Pumpkin Ridge golf course to play in the Pacific Invitational on April 16 and 17.

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Kelsey Sutton/For the Review
Kelsey Sutton can be reached at linfieldreviewsports@gmail.com.

Men’s and women’s golf

The Wildcats men’s and women’s golf teams were slated to swing into the 2011 season this week. But only one team made it onto the greens.

The women’s Willamette Invitational was scheduled for Feb. 28, but because weather conditions were poor, the tournament has been rescheduled for March 5.

The Puget Sound Invitational took place at the Fircrest Golf Club on March 3. The men’s team played through the wind and the foul weather and placed second out of five teams, with 302 strokes—nine strokes behind tournament leader Oklahoma Christian University.

A 12th-hole eagle by Thomas Schmitz served as a high point during the competition. Freshman A.J. Taylor and junior Alex Fitch, who is three strokes behind lead golfer senior Axel Ochoa, achieved two-over-par 73s and three golfers placed among the Invitational’s top ten.

Day two of the tournament will take place at Fircrest March 4.

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~Compiled by Septembre Russell/ Copy chief

The men’s and women’s golf teams placed in the top three at the two-day NWC Fall Classic on Oct. 23 and 24.
The women played at the Lost Tracks Golf club and the men at the Juniper Golf Course in Bend, Ore. Tough weather conditions proved harsh against the teams.
“It was extremely cold out, and we were exposed to rain, wind and snow for the entirety of Sunday’s round,” sophomore Brinn Hovde said. “The course was flooded, and coaches were forced to squeegee the greens just to keep the course playable. It is exceptionally challenging to golf when your hands are too numb to grip the club.”
On the first day for the women, senior Brynn Hurdus tied for second with a score of 77 against Whitworth University’s sophomore Emily Guhrie. Hurdus fell to ninth place on the second day with a final score of 170.
The women’s team on the first day placed third with 329 — one stroke behind George Fox University.
“Our first-day team score was great, but unfortunately the weather made it extremely difficult to shoot a good score for the second round,” junior Sophie Corr said.
Corr shot a career low of six-over-par 79, which put her in fifth place. By day two, Corr ended up placing sixth scoring a total of 166.
For the final results, the women’s team placed third with a combined score of 693. George Fox had a score of 659, and Whitworth scored 667.
“Considering the conditions we played in, I am very proud of our team for even just finishing the round. That alone is better than the Pacific [University] team that chose to withdraw due to the weather,” Hovde said.
For the men’s team, junior Alex Fitch finished first among the Wildcats, scoring a 76. Fitch was three strokes behind Pacific’s senior Max Bonk, putting him in second place after the first day.
By the end of the first day, the Wildcats, Pacific and Whitworth were in a three-way tie for second place. Each team was 10 strokes behind the University of Puget Sound.
Fitch remained in second place on day two with a score of 155 — still behind Bonk who scored 159.
Two other Wildcats endedup placing in the top 10. Freshman A.J. Taylor shot a 158, receiving sixth place, and senior Yutaro Sakamoto tied for eighth place with 160.
The men’s team placed third with a final score of 644, five shots behind Pacific. Puget Sound won the tournament scoring 632 strokes.
“As a team, I think we were all disappointed with our play. We didn’t score very well. Part of that was the weather, but the other part was physical mistakes,” senior Beau Slayton said.
The NWC Fall Classic is the last game of the fall season. Hovde said she is very excited for the women’s team’s upcoming season.
“We all saw such a big improvement in our games this fall, and with even more time to work with in the spring, the tremendous potential that our team has is really going to show,” Hovde said.
Slayton said he is excited for the men’s spring season, and he wants to work on being more consistent during tournaments.
Sakamoto said he will not continue playing in the spring season due to the weather.
“I cannot deal with Oregon weather anymore. I wish my team the best in the spring,” Sakamoto said.

Tim Marl/Staff reporter
Tim Marl can be reached at linfieldreviewsports@gmail.com.

The Wildcats continued their success last week when the men’s and women’s golf teams both took first.
The men’s tournament at the George Fox Invitational at the Chehalem Glenn golf course took place on Oct. 9 and 10. The team saw positive results on the first day, beating Pacific University and placing first with a combined score of 302.
Senior Yutaro Sakamoto shot a 72, which shot him to first place, and junior Alex Fitch tied for second place, with Pacific senior Max Bonk at a score of 74.
On the second day, despite the rain, Sakamoto remained in the lead with a score of 75 and received medalist honors.
Other Wildcats placed in the top 10. Fitch placed third, and senior Evan Wallace held a two-way tie for fourth with 13 over par 157. Freshman A.J. Taylor tied for seventh with 19 over par 163.
In the end, Linfield won with a total score of 620. Pacific came in second 18 strokes behind. Pacific Lutheran University came in third with 649.
“We were not surprised by the results because we expect to win every time we play,” Sakamoto said.
The women played at the Whitworth Invitational at the Spokane Country Club on Oct. 10 and 11 in Spokane, Wash.
Senior Brynn Hurdus led the Wildcats, placing second with six over par 79.
“I really look up to Brynn as a player and teammate, and I am so proud of her performance at this tournament,” sophomore Brinn Hovde said. “She had an outstanding round, and I know she has many more to come.”
By the second day, Hurdus shot her career best with a solid back nine and received medalist honors.
“Hurdus had four birdies in the second half of the day, and nearly had a hole-in-one on the 17th hole,” according to the Linfield athletics website.
Hovde and freshman Hannah Christianson made the top 10 with Hovde in sixth place and Christianson in seventh place.
“[I was] ecstatic that we were able to turn it around after the first day and give it our best the following day to win the tournament,” Christianson said.
The team won the tournament with a combined score of 677, beating Whitworth by one point. Puget Sound obtained third place with 729.
“Whitworth won conference last year, so to beat them on their home course really illustrates the growth we’ve had in this season alone and illustrates what we are capable of,” Hurdus said.
The women’s team plays at the Northwest Conference Fall Classic on Oct. 23 and 24 at Lost Tracks Golf Club in Bend, Ore.
The men’s team plays in Walla Walla, Wash. at the Whitman Invitational on Oct. 16 and 17.

Tim Marl/Staff reporter
Tim Marl can be reached at linfieldreviewsports@gmail.com.

The men’s golf team posted positive results Sept. 24. It earned a top spot during the Linfield Invitational hosted at Michelbook Country Club in McMinnville. The women’s team did well, too, Sept. 18 and 19.
Men’s golf received first place with a score of 300, beating out Pacific University.
Junior Alex Fitch set a personal record. He hit his career-first sub-par round. He began with three birdies on the first four holes and then by the 18th hole Fitch obtained another birdie, setting his record. He claimed third place at the Invitational.
Many of his teammates placed in the Top 25, too. Freshman
A.J. Taylor tied for seventh place; senior Yutaro Sakamoto placed eighth; senior Evan Wallace received 22nd; and freshman Tommy Shmitz tied for 24th.
The women’s golf team earned second place during the Pacific Fall Invitational on Sept. 18 and 19 at Quail Valley Golf Course in Banks, Ore. They finished just five shots behind winner Whitworth University.
In the women’s team, two golfers placed in the Top 10. Senior Brynn Hurdus came in second place, and sophomore Brinn Hovde finished at ninth.
The Wildcats return to action Oct. 1 at the Willamette Three-Way scheduled for Salem’s Illahe Hills Country Club.

~Compiled by Tim Marl

The men’s and women’s golf teams are off to a good start for the season, with both teams finishing near the top.
Men’s golf earned second place during its first tournament last weekend during the Pacific Fall Invitational.
“We have many new faces this year,” coach Greg Copeland said. “I was pleased by how they played.”
The men’s team comprises 10 athletes, six of which travel and compete in invitationals. Four Linfield athletes landed top scores.
Junior Alex Fitch led the Wildcats, finishing third. Junior Beau Slayton and senior Yutaro Sakamoto
ended with a three-way tie for fifth place, while freshman A.J. Taylor came in eighth place.
“The conditions were tough,” Taylor said about the Pacific tournament. “It was windy and the greens were pretty fast.”
A final score of 606 landed Linfield a second-place spot. Pacific University came out on top with a score of 604. Corban College took third place with 617 points.
Whitworth and Pacific universities will be Linfield’s toughest competition this season, Copeland said.
“Teams are improving,” he said. “We don’t know who has acquired strong players. But we have the talent to win conference.”
Linfield is hosting the next invitational at
Michelbook Country Club
on Sept. 24 at 1 p.m.
Despite poor weather conditions, the women’s team placed second out of six during the Pacific Fall
Invitational on Sept. 18 and 19.
Linfield finished the tournament with a total score of 681, only five shots behind the first place team, Whitworth.
“The scores were really close,” coach Brian Trowbridge said. “First place was only five shots off. That’s almost one shot per golfer. We’re right there.”
Sophomore Brinn Hovde, was pleased by the teams’ performance and is optimistic about the season.
“We should have won,” Hovde said. “We have potential to go far.”
Three strong golfers placed in the top 10. Senior Brynn Hurdus finished the tournament in second place, scoring 80 on the first day and 81 on the second. Hovde and freshman Hannah Christianson showcased their talent with scores of 172 and 167, respectively.
Trowbridge has high expectations for the season.
“We’re going to try to place top three in conference,” he said. “There have been a lot of changes this season, but the girls are adapting well.”
Christianson agreed with Trowbridge.
“We will do well in conference,” she said. “We have a lot of strong players. We definitely have a chance to be right up there in the competition.”
The Wildcats will compete next at the Willamette Three-Way on Oct. 1 in Salem at Illahe Hills.

Katey Barger/Staff reporter
Katey Barger can be reached at linfieldreviewsports@gmail.com.