Careening a well-driven ball towards the first hole just as the downpour relented to allow the tournament to begin, Morgan Yurosek ’20 began the season for Amherst women’s golf at the St. Lawrence University Invitational. The Mammoths went on to place third out of 12 teams with a combined score of 624. That score placed them just behind NESCAC rival Middlebury, who finished second, and New York University, who took the top spot with the first- and second-place individual finishers.

The Mammoths started the weekend strong, finishing day one in second place after shooting a combined 307. Isabelle Ouyang ’21 shot a team-low 74 to move into third place in the individual competition, while Yurosek was just behind her after shooting a 4-over-par 75. Zoe Wong ’18, Jessica Jeong ’20 and Emily Young ’20 also contributed to the team’s first-day success.

On the second day of the tournament, the team failed to match their first-day scores, and Middlebury stole second place. Only Young improved upon her score, shooting a team low 77 on the day.

“I’m really happy with how the team and I played, considering that it was our first tournament and we haven’t had much practice time together,” said Ouyang, who led the team with a two-day total of 153.

Strong performances from newcomers have characterized the women’s golf team in recent seasons. Last year, Yurosek, then a first-year herself, won her first tournament of the season. She continued to impress as the season progressed, finishing 15th overall in the NCAA DIII tournament.

Excluding the NCAA DIII tournament, in which Amherst finished ninth, the team has not finished lower than third in tournament play since the beginning of the 2016-17 season, when coach Elizabeth Davis took over the squad.

“The team had great success last year and I’m thankful for the opportunity to be a part of this young team and I’m hopeful [for the future]!” said Ouyang.

The Mammoths travel next week to Nehoiden Golf Club, one of the nation’s first golf courses, to take part in the Ann S. Batchelder Invitational hosted by Wellesley College. Amherst hopes to build off last year’s success in that particular tournament, when Yurosek garnered individual honors and the team took home first place.