Aboff places first at Shamrock

Princeton also enjoyed success as a team, finishing just a stroke behind Murray State in the aggregative competition to take second place in a 14-team field. The Racers started slow but built up momentum, cutting their stroke total in each of the three rounds to defeat the Tigers.

The tournament was hosted by Winthrop and held at Tega Cay Golf Club outside Charlotte, S.C. The course was a par-72 and measured 5,969 in total yardage.

“The course was a tricky layout with a few very tough holes,” Aboff said. “Though we did not play a very long course, it still proved to be very difficult with constant hills that produced extremely uneven lies.”

Aboff, after a first round score of 78, came back in the second round with a 69, the lowest score of the tournament. She finished Sunday with a two-over 74 to beat Degerman by two strokes.

“My success in the second round was completely a result of better putting,” Aboff said. “My higher score of a 78 on the previous day was a result of missing putts and a loss of confidence around the greens. During the second round, I fixed these mistakes and was much more efficient around the greens. This allowed for a much lower score.”

Aboff, who was plus five for the tournament, had the lowest par-four scoring in the tournament and was second in par threes and third in par fives. She had 40 pars and six birdies.

Her sophomore teammate Michelle Grilli also had a very good tournament. She finished in third place with rounds of 77, 76 and 77, giving her an overall score of plus 14. Junior Marlowe Boukis also broke the top 20 for the Tigers, tying for 19th place at plus 26 for the weekend.

Freshman Kate Scarpetta took 22nd place, finishing just behind Boukis with an overall score of plus 27. Freshman Maggie Boberg tied in 49th place with a final score of plus 41. Freshman Rachel Blum competed as an individual, tying for 42nd at plus 36.

“I think that the key to our team’s success this weekend was playing smart,” Aboff said. “This golf course was a short but very tricky track, so the most important aspect of our games had to be in course management. To play well, we had to play smart and not [be] overly aggressive on hard holes. I think we did a very good job at that.”

Strategic play enabled Princeton to overcome its shortcomings against several southern schools. Unlike opponents Charleston Southern or South Carolina-Upstate, the Tigers have been largely inactive throughout the winter and only resumed competition on March 8 at the Mo Morial Invitational hosted by Texas A&M.

There, Princeton showed its rust, finishing 10th out of 15 teams. The Tigers did demonstrate signs of rapid improvement, however, as Aboff began the tournament with an 84 only to improve her score in the next two rounds.

“The competition [at the Shamrock Invitational] was fairly good,” Aboff said. “Though we did not play exclusively top-ranked schools, many of the schools we did play against were located in the South. This gives them a huge advantage this time of year, as they are able to play outside.”

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As the Tigers get a few more matches under their belts, that advantage will surely decrease. Princeton competes again next week in the Hoya Invitational, hosted by Georgetown.