The Alabama Crimson Tide women’s golf team returned to action over the weekend as it participated in the Moon Golf Invitational, hosted by Louisville. The event was held at the Suntree Country Club in Melbourne, Florida. This was the Crimson Tide’s first tournament of 2024 and will likely be its most challenging. Among the 17-team field were 12 teams ranked in the top 25 nationally.
Unfortunately for Alabama, the stacked field yielded a disappointing finish to start off the team’s 2024 campaign. The Crimson Tide finished tied for 13th place with a final total score of 888 (297-305-286). The tournament saw SEC rival LSU take home the team championship, while other SEC schools Auburn, Vanderbilt and Texas A&M cracked the top five.
Alabama head coach Mic Potter said that the tournament’s field was a good test to see how the Crimson Tide stacked among some of the best in the nation. It was also a wake-up call for Alabama heading into the rest of the spring season.
Alabama was led by senior Sarah Edwards, who finished tied for 28th with a 4-over-par 220 (74-77-69). This was Edwards’ 14th career finish inside the top 30.
Freshman Kaitlyn Schroeder also put up a strong performance, finishing among the top five in birdies carried across the event with 10. She also capped off the tournament tied for 44th alongside senior Elina Sinz, who put together a good all-around performance, jumping 34 spots. Sinz had a great final round, shooting a 68, the best from any golfer on the team in any round during the weekend.
Sophomore Taylor Kehoe put up a notable performance by finishing tied for second for most total pars carded. She also finished the tournament 51st.
Potter said he saw the tournament as a good chance to see how his team compared with the field headed into spring play.
“We showed some signs of being competitive today, but we have to learn to keep our focus, stay present and finish off our rounds when we get well under par,” Potter said.
The Crimson Tide will be back on the green March 4-6 as it looks to bounce back during the Darius Rucker Intercollegiate at Long Cove Club in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.
