Zingler leads young 'Stangs
Junior, who grabs runner-up, 2 frosh account for 3rd-place finish at CommonGround G.C.
AURORA – Kaitlin Zingler finished runner-up and led an inexperienced Mullen group to a third-place finish on Monday in the Bruin Invitational at CommonGround Golf Course.
Mullen had just three entrants – Zingler, a junior who is having an outstanding season, and two freshmen, Sammy Yates and Riley Sullivan.
But the three combined for 252 strokes, just one from grabbing second. Cherokee Trail won with 243 and Rock Canyon had 251.
Mustangs head coach Kate Walker said she was pleasantly surprised with the showing, particularly when considering Mullen brought only three players for various reasons, including sickness.
“Two of them were freshmen and both were incredibly nervous,” the coach said. “because they knew their scores were going to count (in the team standings). When playing, you don’t always know if your score is going to count.
“For them to feel that pressure and maybe that’s not the word, and that the team results depended on them, they both responded very well. They both had slow starts, but they turned around their rounds.”
Yates finished with 88, within a stroke of her season-best, Walker said, and Sullivan’s 91 was her low for 2022.
As for Zingler, she fired a 2-over-par 73 with a high-end back nine. She made the turn at 4-over 40, but birdied No 10 as well as 17 and 18 to come home in 2-under 33.
She ended two shots behind winner Ashleigh Wilson of Rock Canyon and four clear of third-placed Kaleigh Babineaux of Cherokee Trail.
The Mustangs will be in action again on Wednesday, April 27, at Aurora Hills G.C., noon.
BRUIN INVITATIONAL
At CommonGround G.C., Aurora
Par 36-35—71
Top team scores – Cherokee Trail 243, Rock Canyon 251, Mullen 252.
Mullen scores – 2. Kaitlin Zingler, 73; 11. (tie) Sammy Yates, 88; 15. (tie) Riley Sullivan, 91.
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