As one of the top eight golfers in Scotland, Louise Kenney, a sophomore on the ISU women’s golf team, returned from that country Sept. 13 after playing for her homeland’s national team.

Kenney, a native of Dunfermiline, Scotland, competed with the Scottish National team in a four-team tournament.

Scotland came in second in the women’s home internationals, held in Cruden Bay, Scotland, finishing behind Ireland. England and Wales also competed in the tournament.

Kenney said she feels confident in how her team competed.

“It was a really good tournament,” she said. “It came down to the last day and even the last couple of days.”

Kenney was also fairly pleased with her play in the tournament.

“I did all right, it was just really a good learning experience,” she said. “They pick the top eight players from the country and it really is an honor just to be able to play for them.”

Kenney said she has competed in other tournaments for her country before.

“I played for the under 18 team and the last three years I played, I’ve had a really good record,” she said.

“In my last time playing for that team, I won all my matches. It was a good opportunity to get noticed.”

Kenney said she realized many things about her game while playing in the tournament.

“You can see the step from girl’s golf to women’s. It’s a step higher and you realize how hard you have to work to improve,” she said.

Kenney returned to America and flew to Lincoln, Neb., on Sept. 13 to compete with the ISU team in the Chip-N-Club Invitational.

ISU women’s head coach Julie Manning said Kenney’s presence was sorely missed while in Scotland.

“Louise is tremendous and positive both on and off the greens,” Manning said. “Whenever someone of her talent is gone, it makes a tremendous impact on team chemistry. Not to mention her scores were certainly missed.”

Manning said she could understand why Scotland would want Kenney to play for them.

“She’s just a great talent and she’s also charming and delightful,” she said.

“We’re really lucky to have her as a player here. She’s just outstanding.”

Kenney also said she wanted to get back to playing ISU golf.

“It was great to go back home, but it felt great to play for ISU again,” she said.

Kenney competed in two singles events, losing 4 and 3 to Ireland’s Claire Coughlan and 4 and 3 to England’s Fame Moore.

Also competing for the Scottish national team was Laura Wells, a member of last year’s ISU women’s golf team.

Wells completed her eligibility at Iowa State last year and was another of the Scottish players Manning has recruited, coming from Dumfries, Scotland. Wells lost the only event in which she competed, dropping a singles match 3 and 1 to Ireland’s Sinead Keane after holding the lead for most of the match.