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Friday, March 29, 2024
The Observer

SMC Golf: Golfers set for MIAA play

Saint Mary's will have its plate full today as members of the team travel to Angola, Ind., to compete in the first round of the MIAA qualifying tournament. The tournament will be combined with the Tri-State Invitational tournament, which was postponed earlier this month due to weather conditions. The Belles enter today's competition after a two-week break from play. Saint Mary's last faced an opponent March 25 at the Northern Kentucky Invitational, in which the team placed 19th. Junior Katie O'Brien led the Belles in Kentucky as she shot back-to-back rounds of 83 and 84. Meredith Fantom followed in O'Brien's footsteps with rounds of 91 and 87. Saint Mary's coach Mark Hamilton said the long wait between competitive play will not have a positive effect on the team.The Belles not only enter the tournament after two weeks without facing an opponent but also after a three-day break from practice. Hamilton gave the team days off to travel over the Easter weekend. But, he said, every school has faced similar circumstances and no one team will enter the tournament with a strong advantage. This course will be the easiest the Belles have played all year, and Hamilton is confident that the Belles will place well."The only teams we are concerned about are the conference teams," Hamilton said. "We were not able to beat Olivet in the fall, but we feel we are well prepared and can beat them if we play our best in all five spots."Saint Mary's placed fourth in the MIAA Championships in October. Olivet took the title with 348 points. Hamilton said that today's match will be won on the greens. Saint Mary's has been working especially hard to eliminate wasted strokes on and near the putting surface in preparation for the course it will face today.