On Thursday and Friday, the Kent State women’s golf team traveled to Columbus for the Therese Hession Buckeye Invitational, hosted by The Ohio State University. 

Despite some struggles in the third round, the Flashes put up a great performance to wrap up the regular season, finishing in third as a team and shooting 30-over-par (894). The team fell two strokes behind second-place Iowa State Cyclones, and just four strokes behind the victorious Ohio State Buckeyes.

A great weekend was had by sophomore Isabella Goyette, who finished in fourth place as an individual and shot just three-over-par (219). This great performance was reassuring, as junior Veronika Kedronova struggled, especially on day one.

Kedronova finished the tournament with a 14-over-par (230), as she couldn’t find her zone on the first day. Her rounds one and two scores were dropped, an uncharacteristic struggle for her.

Senior Leon Takagi got off to a fast start, but dropped a bit in the third round. She finished in 18th and carded a 10-over-par (226) performance.

Sophomore Petra Babicova had a nice tournament with a 12-over-par (228) score, highlighted by a great first-round performance.

Finally, sophomore Aryn Matthews had a great first two rounds, but she dropped drastically in the standings in the third. She finished in 41st with a final score of 21-over-par (237). Despite her score, she was a key contributor on day one.

The Flashes performance in Columbus was incredibly promising as the Mid-American Conference Championships lie straight ahead. 

“The one unique thing about our sport is that you can’t hide: Your name has a score next to it,” said coach Casey VanDamme. “It’s very important that you see some momentum going into the postseason.”

Round One

The Flashes finished round one in sixth, shooting 14-over-par (302) in good position to make a move in later rounds. 

Takagi took charge of the team in the opening round, shooting two-over-par (74). She tied for eighth individually in the round, and her help was needed in the first round as Kedronova struggled.

Matthews, Babicova, and Goyette each ended the round at four-over-par (76). This trio rounded out the scoring for the Flashes in the first round and kept them afloat before round two.

Kedronova recorded a score of seven-over-par (79), an unusual struggle by her standards. 

“It’s a tough course and the course conditions were tough,” said VanDamme. “I think we made a good adjustment there.”

Round Two

Round two saw KSU jump into second place as the team shot two-over-par (290). The Flashes finished the round just three strokes behind first-place Ohio State University.

Goyette led her team in the second round, shooting two-under-par (70). Meanwhile, Takagi carded an even par as both players ended the round in a tie for third individually.

“People showed up to get in shape for the postseason,” said VanDamme. “No one really sustained it other than Isabella, who had a good tournament.”

Matthews had another strong round, recording a one-over-par (73). She ended the day in 11th and added a great performance for the Flashes.

Babicova was the final scorer for KSU, as she shot a solid three-over-par (75).

Kedronova continued to struggle in Columbus with another seven-over-par (79).

The Flashes were in prime position to take down the Buckeyes on their home course, and they had one more round to do it. 

“We didn’t play very good in the first round, to be honest,” said VanDamme. “But everyone bounced back. Our young ladies are tough and adjusted well to the course conditions.”

Round 3

The final round had another solid performance from the Flashes as they made third place, shooting 14-over-par (302). Despite holding second place, they dropped to third as OSU maintained first place with ISU leaping into second.

Kedronova rebounded from her day one struggles, recording an even par (72) and leading the final charge for KSU. She launched herself into 23rd with her second-day performance.

Goyette was close behind, shooting one-over-par (73) and rounding out a great weekend of golf. She ended the tournament in fourth as an individual, marking a great sign before the MAC Championships.

Babicova carded a five-over-par (77) and fell to 20th place, while Takagi struggled with an eight-over-par (80) and dropped to 18th.

Matthews’ score was dropped as she struggled the most out of the group, shooting 16-over-par (88). 

The Flashes fell one place in the final round, but they left a strong mark on the regular season with their top-three finish. 

“We’re starting to get a little more golf now that the weather is better,” said VanDamme. “You can see that in their games, they’re improving.”

Up Next

After a long regular season, the Flashes will travel down the road to Firestone Country Club in Akron for the Mid-American Conference Championships. They will compete from Apr. 26-28 and look to continue their undefeated streak as MAC Champions.

Luke Nedved is a reporter. Contact him at [email protected].