The women's golf team earned their first victory this Sunday against Bates at the eponymous Bowdoin Blast, hosted by the Brunswick Golf Club. The Polar Bears won with a combined score of 375 to 400.
Bowdoin's Kendall Kyritz '15 was the medalist in her first collegiate golf event (carding at 92), followed by Taylor Guiffre '14 and Bates' Bridget Dunn.
Second-year Head Coach Gerry Caron was pleased with the great start to the season, but commented that the high winds that day led to unfavorable conditions that raised players' scores.
Caron said that the opportunity for a golf preseason is nonexistent: the team's season starts the day students come to school. However, at the end of the previous season, he gave returning players tips for things to work on for the upcoming season.
The six-woman roster is composed primarily of underclassmen, with three first years, Kyritz, Hillary Miller, and Ursula Munger, as well as two sophomores, Guiffre and Emily Quirk.
"Captain Chelsea Gross '13 is definitely the team leader," said Caron.
Last season Gross typically scored in the mid- to low-80s and earned the low medalist award. Although Gross did not have her strongest match last weekend, Caron said she is looking ahead to a very promising season.
Of the three first years, Kyritz was the only recruit. Raised in Connecticut, she has golfed since she was young, spending her summers playing in tournaments and improving her swing.
The team had an extremely strong season last fall, but Caron said he is "looking to improve the [already] blossoming program." He has increased the number of practices a week to five, during which he works on fine-tuning his players' swings.
Caron said the increased number of practices creates a "family-like bond among the teammates."
"I love to teach [them] and they love to learn," he added.
The team will play a total of five events this season, at which they will find stiff competition against Williams and Bates, both of which have very strong golf programs. Bowdoin hopes to trump its eighth-place finish in last season's Williams Classic.
Asked about the prospect of colleges sending individual players to tournaments, Caron said that he is "looking to go after the team end of things instead." All of his players consistently score in the low 80s and 90s, making for a solid team score.
The Polar Bears will compete this weekend at Val Halla Golf Club for the Maine State Championship.