This fall, the Central College women’s golf team hadn’t posted a single team score in 340s. On Friday and Saturday in Indianola, under rainy conditions at the Iowa Conference tournament, the Dutch counted scores of 341 and 343.

Joining us Monday night on the Central College Radio Coaches Corner on KRLS, coach Tim Wilkinson said that it was a bad time to have their worst rounds of the year.

It dropped Central from the lead at the halfway point of the Iowa Conference tournament down to second place, a distant 28 strokes behind eventual champion Wartburg.

The Dutch had won the league tournament last fall, qualifying them for the national tournament this past spring. Wilkinson said that knowing they won’t be getting a return ticket to nationals was the toughest part to deal with for the team.

“I knew that when we left Houston last year that there wasn’t a sense of fulfillment in that ‘okay, we checked the box, we made Nationals, we don’t really care what happens (this year)’. It was the exact opposite, and they so desperately wanted to get back there again to not only enjoy the atmosphere and the experience, but also to improve upon our performance. So, for the seniors to not get an opportunity to do that, I know is extremely disappointing.”

College golf is a split spring / fall sport, so the Dutch will get back at it again in the spring, and Wilkinson says that the focus will be on improving their game so they’re ready for the 2018 Iowa Conference tournament and a chance to get to the 2019 Nationals.