Golf: Aboff finishes four shots shy in qualifier

To advance, Aboff would have had to finish in the top two for all the golfers whose teams either failed to qualify for the tournament or whose teams finished outside the top eight in the qualifier. Aboff tied for 23rd overall, in the top quarter of competitors but outside the top two of individual scorers, thus failing to qualify for the NCAA Championship.

As the first group teed off Thursday morning at 7:30 a.m., all players showed signs of feeling pressure to perform. Aboff was paired with Maryland freshman Jessica Hollandsworth and Missouri junior Julia Potter.

Aboff started the first day going off the 10th tee and was not at her best. Through eight holes, Aboff was two over par with an uncharacteristic three-putt on the short par-four 17th hole. At the 18th hole — arguably the toughest hole on the course, and playing dead into the wind that morning — Aboff’s round seemed to be in jeopardy.

Displaying the toughness that has characterized her four years at Princeton, Aboff knocked a solid tee shot down the middle of the fairway before sticking a five-iron just less than four feet from the pin. Draining the birdie putt, Aboff gained momentum going around the turn. She finished her back nine at one under par, posting an even par 70 on the day and putting herself in prime position to contend over the final 36 holes.

Day two, however, proved to be her undoing. Starting in contention, Aboff could not get putts to fall and was not striking the ball up to her usual standard. Making no birdies, five bogeys and a double bogey at the 17th hole, Aboff recorded a disappointing 77, dropping her well back of the lead and out of contention.

“I am definitely frustrated,” Aboff said. “Watching the strength of play at the tournament allowed me to realize that if I played well, I could have made it out. Unfortunately, my game on Friday had other plans.”

Though her third round was stronger, Aboff couldn’t capitalize on birdie opportunities or recover from early bogeys. She finished the third day with 73, posting a 10-over-par 220 for the tournament.

Aboff missed qualifying by a mere four strokes, as the second individual qualifier, Candace Shepperle of Auburn, took the spot at six over for the weekend.

Despite failing to qualify, Aboff’s performance clearly shows the improvement in Ivy League golf. Though the Harvard team that competed in the Central Region Qualifier was well overmatched, the peak Ivy League competitors have proven that they can hang with the country’s elite.

“This just goes to show that Ivy League golf is getting better,” Aboff said. “We are able to compete with the best teams in the country.”