The women’s golf team mixed business with pleasure as it teed off in Florida over spring break to mark the start of its 2001 spring season.

Yale competed in two tournaments sponsored by Northern Illinois University, placing 10th out of 16 schools in the Third Annual Springlake Intercollegiate Invitational March 9-10. The Bulldogs then took seventh in a field of 17 in the 15th Annual Snowbird Intercollegiate Invitational March 15-16.

In the Springlake tournament, Yale finished with a final score of 648. But in the second and final round, the Elis combined for a 307 — the third best score of the day, behind only Campbell University, the tournament champion, and William & Mary. The low round was also the best showing by the Bulldogs since they shot a 307 to win the Princeton Invitational in the fall.

“It was insane,” captain Sarah Seo ’02 said of Yale’s 34-stroke improvement on the second day. “We knew the first day was a fluke and that we just needed a little time [to warm up].”

Seo, last year’s Ivy League individual champion, led Yale throughout the tournament, shooting 79 in the first round and 77 in the second to finish 13th overall. The other Bulldogs to play were Katie Hatsushi ’04 (161), Jenny Schriefer ’02 (164), Jordanna Davis ’03 (167) and Della Deme ’04 (203).

Yale continued to play well at the Snowbird Invitational, where it shot 326 the first day and 319 the second for a final score of 645. The tournament featured teams from around the country and was won by Arkansas State University, which shot 623.

Once again, Seo excelled, clubbing her way to a two-round total of 151 — good enough for second place on the leader board, one point behind Shellie Wenzel of Arkansas State. Schriefer placed next for Yale with a 162, followed by Hatsushi (164), Andia Winslow ’04 (168) and Deme (215).

Yale wanted to play competitively and consistently in the early season tournaments, Seo said. And while they were admittedly rusty, the Bulldogs were happy with the early season results.

“We displayed flashes of brilliance during the trip,” head coach Mary Moan said.

When they weren’t roaming the links, the Yale players spent time with alumni and did some sightseeing — they even got a tour of the Golf Channel Network.

But Moan was impressed with her team’s focus.

“I am confident in saying that this team is the hardest-working team in the league,” she said. “We have been preparing for our spring season since last November.”

The Bulldogs have two tune-up tournaments left, including the William & Mary Invitational, before the Ivy League championships April 14-15. Yale has won the tournament all but once since its inception in 1997.

“As long as we play to our potential, which we have displayed already, we should retain the Ivy trophy,” said Moan, who was the Ivy League tournament individual champion for Princeton in 1997.