The Hope College women’s golf team is off to a strong start at the MIAA Spring Finale in Battle Creek.
The Flying Dutch are in fourth place at the 36-hole, nine-team event after shooting a first-round 346 on Monday at Binder Creek Golf Course.
Hope, which entered the MIAA Spring Finale in fifth place in the seasonal standings, is six strokes out of second place at the tournament heading into the final round on Tuesday, April 22, at 10 a.m.
Sophomore Allyson Zuidema (Northville, Michigan / Northville HS) led the Orange and Blue during the opening round, carding a 9-over-par 81 that ties her for sixth place.
Zuidema is four strokes off the individual lead. Trine University’s Natalie Kulka shot a first-round low 77.
Trine leads the team standings after firing a score of 319, 21 strokes better than second-place Saint Mary’s College (340), which remains the seasonal leader by 33 strokes. Adrian College is one stroke back of Saint Mary’s College.
Hope (346) is five strokes ahead of fifth-place Kalamazoo College and 10 ahead of sixth-place Calvin University.
Sophomore Rachael Jones (Grove City, Ohio / Grove City) is tied for 14th place after carding an 86.
Senior Sarah Owens (Charlotte, Michigan / Charlotte) trails Jones by two strokes, tied for 16th.
Sophomore Jaiden Winters (New Carlisle, Indiana / New Carlisle) chipped in a 91.
The Flying Dutch also received rounds from senior Jaiden Winters (New Carlisle, Indiana / New Carlisle) of 96 and junior Caydee Constant (Grand Haven, Michigan/ Grand Haven) of 99.