Yale Athletics
After a short but successful spring campaign, the Yale women’s golf team came up short at the season-ending Ivy League Championships this weekend, finishing sixth out of seven teams.
Held at Metedeconk National Country Club in New Jersey, the championship lasted three rounds over three days, with the top four of five scores considered for the team score. After the first round, the team earned a composite total of 319 (+31), leading to a fifth-place finish. However, the team slipped to sixth after Saturday’s round and was unable to move up the leaderboard on Sunday, ultimately shooting a composite score of 954 (+90). Princeton took the title for the second consecutive year, with the Elis managing to beat only Penn.
“We definitely did not play the best we could have, but we’ll continue working hard in the off season,” Julie Luo ’19 said. “Still, we pushed through and we’re very proud of our seniors, especially Jen, who placed third overall.”
The tournament was particularly meaningful for team captain Jennifer Peng ’18 and Jayshree Sarathy ’18, as it was not just their final championship, but their final collegiate golf event after four years on the team.
Peng’s famed consistency was on display once again this weekend, with the reigning Ivy League Player of the Year finishing third overall. Peng began with a respectable 77 (+5), which she improved on by four strokes the next day after firing a one-over-par 73 before concluding her college golf run with a stellar 75 (+3). Sarathy had more difficulty this weekend, shooting a total of 249 (+33).
“It was a bittersweet weekend, but I’m proud of how I finished my collegiate career and am super grateful for the four years I’ve had on the team,” Peng said. “I couldn’t have asked for more.”
Beryl Wang ’20 and Luo followed Peng, with each competitor carding a 240 (+24) to place 23rd overall. Wang returned to the championships one year after leading her team at the conference tournament as a first year, an experience she said gave her confidence this weekend. Wang improved each round of the tournament, with a seven-stroke gap between her first and final rounds of 84 and 77, respectively. Luo had trouble finding her groove after a red-hot spring season but still managed to conclude her junior year with a six-over-par 78 on Sunday.
Competing in her first championship was Gabrielle DeSombre ’21 after scoring multiple top-10 finishes in her inaugural year on the team. Despite struggling in her first two rounds, DeSombre rallied back with an eight-stroke improvement in her final round and gained valuable championship experience for her to draw on over the next three years.
Princeton declared victory after a playoff hole against Harvard, retaining the title from the previous season. The Tigers and the Crimson shot composite scores of 911 (+47), which was followed by Brown at 917 (+53). Columbia came in at 925 (+61) to earn fourth place, while Dartmouth took fifth with a score of 935 (+71), just a week after defeating Yale at the Hartford Invitational.
Yale entered the tournament ranked fifth in the Ancient Eight, ahead of Dartmouth and Penn. Despite finishing 19 strokes behind Dartmouth this weekend, the Elis retained their fifth-place ranking in the Ivies, according to Golfweek.
The Bulldogs have had difficulty at the Ivy League Championships in recent years, having not won since 2011. However, Luo said the team’s performance at the championships is not representative of its play throughout the season, which included multiple first-place finishes
Peng, the reigning Ivy League Player of the Year, and Sarathy will graduate in May.
Alex Reedy | alex.reedy@yale.edu