Women’s golf team excited for Kiawah Island Spring Classic

The USD women’s golf team will be competing for the first time at the Kiawah Island Spring Classic in Charleston, South Carolina on February 25-27.

According to GoYotes, junior Lexi Petersen led USD’s golf team with 227 total strokes and a 58th place finish at Kiawah Island, South Carolina. Senior Abby Dufrane finished five strokes behind Petersen and finished in 102nd in the tournament. USD finished the tournament in 36th place with 949 total strokes in the two courses.

Senior Abby Dufrane said she was “super excited.”

The three-day tournament was played over two golf courses.

This tournament is part of the year-long collegiate golf season. The year-round season offers some challenges.

Dufrane said the long season can be draining.

“We play three or four months, and then we take a break, and then we do it all over again within the same school year, so I’d say it’s time-consuming,” Dufrane said. “You have to be driven. You have to be very disciplined.
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So, you just gotta kinda get in that mindset, to just be okay with that you’re going to be a little exhausted emotionally, physically, and just kind of be ready to go and help out your teammates.” 

While practicing year-round during the school year helps players “stay in the groove,” Dufrane said. Junior Lexi Petersen pointed out that the summer also offers unique challenges.

“The summer is kind of a down time, but more of just really practicing and grinding out like what we’re working on for the next fall,” Petersen said. “I wouldn’t say it’s less strenuous, but it’s definitely more a mental game in the summer, just to stay focused and stay competitive.” 

Hovden said the sport is a lot of work for athletes, on top of being students.

 “It’s a full-time job,” Hovden said. “Traveling takes a lot out of a player, takes a lot out of the team. We’re there, we’re playing a lot of holes in a short amount of time, we’re turning around, we’re getting back well after midnight, and then getting up and going to classes and starting practice all over again for the next event. So just know that these kids work their butts off.”

Even though the season is long, Hovden said he’s excited for the spring.

“To me, the spring is more exciting because the batteries are recharged.” Hovden said. “We’ve had a couple months to step away from the game, and really just work on some small details, some swing fixes, some mental approaches to the game, and then when we start traveling, it’s exciting.”