The women's golf team has had many firsts since its inception and added another one to its list last weekend.
The team hosted its first tournament, the Pirate Invitational, placing fifth of 18 teams in the inaugural event at Trump Nation- al in Bedminster, N.J.
"This is an event four years in the making," head coach Sara Doell said in a release before the event. "Since we started this program, we've wanted to host our own tournament. To be able to begin this new tradition at a world-class, top-rate venue like Trump National, brings immediate prestige to our event. It's going to be a great weekend of golf."
Seton Hall sent two teams to the tournament, which was the last before the team heads to the Big East Championship in Daytona Beach, Fla. over Easter Break.
The 18 teams competed on Trump National's "New Course," a par-72, which was designed by Tom Fazio, Donald Trump's golf course designer of nearly a decade.
The team struggled during the opening round due to high winds. The weather affected every golfer on the links as only nine of the 90 golfers competing shot a score in the 70s.
The Hall shaved 17 strokes off their first-round score, thanks in large part to friendlier weather conditions.
The team finished with a 63-over-par, 328-311-639, coming in eight strokes behind team-champion Columbia and three strokes behind St. John's, the Pirates' only other conference foe.
Sophomore Megan Tenhundfeld took advantage of the better weather, cutting 10 strokes from her first-round score, finishing round two, posting a 2-over-par, 74. Tenhundfeld closed the tournament in 11th place.
Erin McClure led the way for the Hall with a strong performance in the second round, cutting seven strokes off her first- round score.
The junior finished tied for ninth place with a 13-over-par, 82-75-157, finishing nine strokes behind Columbia's Michelle Piyapattra for the individual championship. Piyapattra defeated Anna Kim from St. John's in the second hole of a playoff for the title.
"The team had a lot to deal with over the last three days," Doell said in a release after the tournament.
"They were dealing with the emotion of many of our seniors playing in their final tournament, the pressure of playing in front of their friends and family and some harsh weather conditions in round one. Given those obstacles, I couldn't be happier with their effort. The scores came down as they should in round two and this weekend served as the perfect tune-up for what we hope will be a productive Big East Champion- ship next week."
The Pirates will look for another first, the team's first conference title, in two weeks in Daytona Beach, Fla.
T.J. Brennan can be reached at thomas.brennan@student.shu.edu.
