So far this season, Winthrop women’s golf has traveled to Florida for the Amelia Island Classic on Feb. 15-16, where they ranked 7th out of 10 teams and beat out Big South competitors Charleston Southern and Presbyterian.
The Strutter Gus Invitational followed in Georgia from Feb. 21-22. Finishing just seven points behind Gardner-Webb, the Eagles ranked 9th out of 12 teams, while Valentine Savioz and Sarah Funderburg led the team with par +20.
The Eagle Invitational marked the first home game and third tournament of the 2021 women’s golf season, with junior Funderburg and freshman Savioz being two of the players to watch.
Although March 8-9 were beautiful sunny days for the tournament, the Rock Hill Country Club green remained wet from the winter rains, providing a slight obstacle for the Eagles.
“To say the least, there were shots left out on the course and putts that could have been made. Despite the higher numbers on the scorecard, I and my team learned quite a bit from this tournament. We have mastered playing in a tournament format with our teammates and can learn from our mistakes,” Funderburg said.
Despite the unpredictable obstacles over the last year, Funderburg is confident in herself and her team’s abilities this season, especially as the weather warms up.
“Since we were unable to play matches in the fall, we prepared for the upcoming season and especially the conference match play event by hosting our own mini Solheim Cup. The team had tremendous fun dressing up and competing against one another,” Funderburg said.
On Monday, Funderburg shot an 80 and was T16, and then led the team in Par 4 scoring on Tuesday. Funderburg and senior Alexis Brindley also tied for the most birdies by a Winthrop player with three each in the first round of Monday’s game.
Sisters Alexis and Makenna Brindley are two other teammates leading the Eagles this season. Sophomore Makenna finished Tuesday T13, the best of her collegiate career, while Alexis finished T25 as she led the team with five birdies in her final round 83.
Attending her first year of college across the Atlantic from her family, biology major Savioz is simply thankful to be on campus competing in the sport she loves.
“It was difficult to not be able to go back home to see my family in Switzerland due to the Covid restrictions, but it’s a difficult time for all of us. No matter what, I feel like Winthrop has done such a great job at making us feel safe and comfortable,” Savioz said.
Savioz was T14 after a first round with 79 on Monday, and then earned a career-best finish of T9 in her final round with 78 the following day.
“I was happy with how I played, and I had a lot of fun with the team these two days. There is still so much I can improve on, and I’m really excited for the next tournament. I will take what was good during my last round and keep moving forward for the next one to try to do even better,” Savioz said.
Out of seven teams, Winthrop finished 4th on Monday and 5th on Tuesday, scoring 324/+36 and 652/+76, respectively.
Even when tournaments do not always go as planned, Funderburg knows that “the smallest effort can make a huge difference,” and she remembers words from Dale Shankland, her old golf coach.
“[He] always told my brother and I, ‘A shank is the closest thing to a good shot.’ I have found the truth in his words inside and outside of golf. Even if something is going wrong, a positive outlook will bring the good out of a tough situation,” Funderburg said.
The Eagles are back at it in Johns Creek, GA for the Georgia State Women’s Golf Intercollegiate on March 29-30.
