No mulligans allowed: Tigers 13th

Spending the weekend in Gainesville, Fla., was not all fun in the sun for the women's golf team. The Tigers placed 13th out of 14 teams at the SunTrust Lady Gator's Invitational, the team's spring season opener.

Princeton finished with a three-round score of 954 (+114), 70 strokes behind the tournament champion Lady Gators, who had home-green advantage.

"It's always disappointing not to play to the level that you know you're capable of, but we went into the tournament knowing that this was our first one back after being indoors all winter," junior captain Alexis Etow said. "The only direction from now until May is forward."

The Tigers limped to a slow start in the first round, shooting an opening-round 325 (+45), putting them in last place by 13 strokes. They improved over the next two rounds but could not recover completely.

The team faced difficult circumstances, considering the season opener happened during midterm weekend.

"This is the first time we've competed the weekend heading into midterms," junior Sharla Cloutier said. "I have four exams and a JP due this week, so it was hard to focus on playing my best."

Princeton, hindered by a cold Northeastern winter, is adjusting to outside play.

"Going from hitting balls in the simulator room in Dillon to playing in a real tournament setting — especially with a 12-hour day of 36 holes — is a bit of an adjustment," Cloutier said. "Hitting balls into a screen just isn't the same as experiencing different conditions and lies outside."

Assistant coach Richard Hunt also emphasized the tough circumstances.

"I am satisfied with the performance," Hunt said. "We knew [the tournament] would be difficult for us. Some girls had played as little as one 18-hole round. The fact that midterms were looming also added stress to the team members."

The Tigers faced a challenging field which included large schools like Michigan, Michigan State and Alabama.

Princeton was 47 strokes off pace for sixth place, its predicted finish based on national rankings. Ivy League rival Yale finished three places and 20 strokes ahead of the Tigers.

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"[Yale beating us] is a good wakeup call," Etow said. "It has us fired up and ready to go for the rest of the spring."

Freshman Marlowe Boukis shot rounds of 77, 81 and 78 to place tied for 41st. Cloutier shot 80, 78 and 85 to place 61st. Sophomore Annika Welander shot 84, 81 and 81 to tie for 65th. Etow shot 84, 86 and 80 to place 70th.

Freshman Susannah Aboff did not compete in the first round, but shot a team-low 75 in the second and third rounds.

"Susannah's playing partner didn't sign her scorecard, so we weren't able to count her score," Etow said. "It's one of the more stringent rules of golf. Her solid play the rest of the weekend is a sign of true competitor."

Cloutier, who did not have a round higher than 80 in the fall, shot uncharacteristically high.

"Sharla has truly impressed us all with her ability to balance golf with her tough academic load," Etow said. "I know she was disappointed with her play, along with feeling the pressure of midterms. But she'll be back in full force next week in Hawaii. In addition to talent, Sharla totally has the right attitude and mental drive."

Rather than being frustrated, the team is excited to prove itself in upcoming tournaments.

"I'm proud of the way the team hung in there and kept trying their hardest on every shot," Cloutier said. "By the time we get to Hawaii, we'll be in much better form."