The UTSA women’s golf team opened its spring season by competing in the Puerto Rico Classic hosted by Purdue University. The starting lineup for UTSA consisted of Daniela Abonce, Maria Bastarrica, Morgan Ellison, Lauren Rios and Olivia Williams. The Roadrunners competed against 18 teams over three days.
Grand Reserve Puerto Rico is an experienced golf course with views incomparable to other courses. The course sits alongside the beach where palms can be found throughout the course. Despite the beauty, the weather impacted the team’s approach as Puerto Rico’s climate is ever-changing.
“With the wind and how windy it was, we faced a lot of side wind, so I think just being confident in the club you picked, the number [of] your line and making sure you take a free swing,” Ellison said of combatting the weather. She continued, “I know for me off the tee I did not have to adjust for the wind side to side as much, just because my ball stays pretty straight when I hit it good.”
“I agree with what Mo said. The coaches emphasized that we all think we did pretty good on body language and attitude,” Abonce added. “We were mentally strong. That is why we improved each day and ended up on a high note climbing up the leaderboard.”
The resort is home to PGA tour events such as the Puerto Rico Open, which will take place at the beginning of March. The course’s conditions were different for the team — in particular, the type of greens each hole had — but the team was able to persevere.
“The greens were not the best that we have seen. They were a little bit slow and a little bit bumpy,” Ellison said. “The PGA tour is playing there at the beginning of March, so I think they don’t wanna cut them too low yet.
Although the greens and grass were different for Ellison in her short game, Abonce was more familiar with the course’s conditions as it reminded her of her hometown — Veracruz, Mexico.
“It was very similar to what we have, the type of grass and the type of layout that we have in Veracruz,” Abonce said. “You don’t really see that type of grass, which we call it in Veracruz kikuyu; it is a very tropical type of grass.”
“For most of the pins, you could be pretty aggressive at [them]. There was a couple that were kinda on or near slopes,” Ellison added. “For the most part, we were able to be pretty aggressive at them.”
Coach Summer Batiste and coach Taryn Torgerson emphasized playing with confidence. Confidence was key again for UTSA as the classic progressed, with each player producing a better score.
Rios led the team on day two with a score of 73, trimming six strokes off her day one score. Williams lowered her score each day (77-75-74); Bastarrica managed to improve on day three of the tournament, fine-tuning her game to shoot (75-77-74).
“I think we always try to be pretty confident. I wouldn’t say out there in Puerto Rico that there is a lot of shots that are like super scary with a lot of water or anything,” Ellison said. “I think we have all the shots that it takes to score on that golf course.”
Abonce struggled a bit on the tournament’s first day, carding an 81, but she quickly recovered the next two days, shaving off her score by seven strokes both days.
“Well, my first round I think I got the most trouble off the tee,” Abonce said. “I was just getting in positions, like I would be in the bunkers having to layup. Physically I could not go for the green or aim it somewhere else I think that got me in a lot of trouble.
“I had a couple of three putts; my up and down was not there,” Abonce added about her first round. “For the second and third day, I think I aimed more [at] how I could mentally improve, just to focus in fundamentals, mechanics [and] keeping my head centered.”
Ellison led the team in scoring, attaining a low score of 72 on the team’s final day. In reach of even par on day three, she recovered on 17 and one, recording a bogey, but counteracting with a birdie on 18 and two.
“I feel like this semester and year in general I have been very good on my mental game, just very steady [and] trying to enjoy my last year,” Ellison said. “I just kind of knew that there was lot of opportunities out on that golf course like 18 and two were both par-5, so I knew that I had opportunities to get there in two or hit it close for birdie.”
UTSA secured 15th place in the tournament, tying with the University of Minnesota. UTSA will compete in the Chevron Collegiate at the Golf Club of Houston on Feb. 24-25.
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