Despite several strong individual finishes, the Cyclone women’s golf team left the 2003 Chip-N-Club disappointed with its overall sixth-place team finish.

Nebraska hosted the tournament, held at Wilderness Ridge in Lincoln, Neb.

Senior Cindy Whitmore, who competed unattached to Iowa State, had the first top-10 finish of her career at Iowa State. She carded a 54-hole 232 (76-78-78) to finish in a tie for eighth place.

“Cindy put up some good scores,” said senior Leanne Owens. “It will be a good confidence builder for her.”

Owens led the golfers competing for Iowa State, carding a 233 (78-77-78) and tying for 10th place. Junior Louise Kenney, who joined the team in Lincoln after competing internationally for the Scottish National Team, also posted a strong individual finish, tying for 15th place with a score of 237 (71-81-85).

The Cyclones, who went into the tournament as defending champions, entered the final round of competition in a tie for fourth place, but were unable to maintain their position after some troubles with their short game, said Owens.

“[We just] didn’t get it in the hole,” she said.

Owens said the Cyclones were three strokes down and in a position to move up toward second-place finishers Kansas State and Denver, but they were losing confidence in their play.

“We just didn’t meet the challenge,” she said.

Owens said the Cyclones expected to finish near the top in meets like the Chip-N-Club.

“We’re just as good of a team,” Owens said. “We just need to work on our game, so we’re not putting up the scores we need to compete.

“We just need to work on our confidence,” she said.

The Cyclones will have a chance to top second-place Denver when they return to the golf course in two weeks at the Pioneer Highlands Invitational, hosted by Denver. Iowa State will attempt to reclaim their team title from the invite last year, where the Cyclones finished with a new team 36-hole record of 595.

— John Kauffman