After the Wildcats played in the Bowling Green State University Women’s Intercollegiate Tournament, Ryann Honea, junior from San Angelo, has been named Western Athletic Conference Women’s Golfer of the Week for her co-first-place finish.
The Wildcats placed third as a team, behind only Weber State University and the University of Texas-El Paso.
“Our goal for this event was a win and unfortunately we didn’t do that,” said Head Coach Rob Bennett. “We didn’t play to our standard in a lot of areas most of the week and it cost us.”
The team finished 57-over 909 in the first tournament of the spring season and will now have a lengthy break to adjust their game and prepare for the tournament they will host in Abilene on March 3-4.
“Our third-place finish should serve as motivation for the rest of the spring,” Bennett said. “It will motivate us to be better prepared and live up to the standard we have set for ourselves.”
While the team did not perform to the standard it had hoped, Honea continued to dominate the field after making her way to the NCAA tournament last spring.
“Ryann does a nice job of preparing for events,” Bennett said. “She focuses a lot on the small things that build to big things; alignment, putting setup, things like that.”
Bennett also said it is “remarkable” how mastering the basics can put a player in a position to succeed.
Though she ended in a tie for first, Honea’s round had a rough start. Her first of three rounds ended one-over par but that round included six bogeys, four of which came in a row from hole five to hole eight.
“My first 10 holes were rough,” Honea said. “I was not performing like usual and I was super rusty, likely from not playing in a tournament in four months. In the back nine of that round, I just flipped a switch and had four birdies and all pars. I fell back in the groove. I feel like that stretch of birdies allowed me to win this week.”
Despite the rough start, Honea’s first and second rounds were her two best at one-over par. Her final round finished at three-over and caused her to fall into a tie for first place with UTEP golfer Nawal Ben Letaief after she had an even final round.
“Ryann’s win in Phoenix continues to show that we are developing winners in our program,” Bennett said. “I think she will win again this spring and I think we could see a win from someone else on the team as well.”
The Wildcats will have a lengthy break before they host the West Texas Classic at Abilene Country Club in early March.
“Going into our event in Abilene we need to continue to work on our wedges, chipping and putting,” Bennett said. “If we put in diligent work in those areas I believe we can be prepared to win our home tournament.”
