Ohio kicked off its spring season traveling to Rio Verde, Arizona, for Western Michigan’s Rio Verde Invitational, finishing tied for eighth at +42.
Ohio kicked off the first round, finishing at +13. Leading the way was junior Zoe Luebbers at 1-over-par. Luebbers struggled on the front nine with three straight bogeys on holes one to three before finishing with 5 pars and a birdie on the eighth. She turned it around with birdies on holes 11 and 14 to go with 6 pars and a bogey on the 10th.
Senior Mackenzie McRee followed closely behind at 3-over-par. She had a solid front nine at two over with three bogeys, a birdie on the sixth and 5 pars. She turned it around with 8 pars and a bogey on the 16th. Following one stroke back at four over was junior Morgan Rodgers.
Rodgers opened the round with three bogeys and 6 pars on the front and finished the back with a birdie, two bogeys and 6 pars.
Sophomore Ally Turner had a strong front nine with a birdie on the second, bogeys on the first and sixth and 6 pars. She struggled on the back nine with four bogeys and 5 pars on holes 11-15. Rounding out the group was freshman Katie Husted at +11 with four double bogeys, five bogeys, consecutive birdies on holes five and six and 7 pars.
In the second round, the Bobcats continued their consistent play, tying for eighth at +14. Luebbers continued her dominance at even par, highlighted by a sensational two under back nine with birdies on holes 12, 13, 15 and 18.
McRee followed at one over, opening the front with three straight bogeys before settling down with birdies on holes five and nine and 4 pars. She continued her great play on the back nine, finishing with the final six holes with two birdies and 4 pars.
Following closely behind at six over came Turner. After starting with a strong front nine, she shot even with an opening birdie, 7 pars and a bogey. She struggled on the back nine with two bogeys and two double bogeys.
Rodgers followed at seven over with 4 straight pars to open the front before picking up three bogeys on holes six, seven and nine. She saw similar results on the back with 5 pars and four consecutive bogeys on holes 11-14. Rounding out the group came Husted at +11, who had a solid round, excluding a seven over on the sixth.
Ohio finished tied for eighth at +15. McRee finished strong at one under with a fantastic front nine with birdies on holes one and nine, 6 pars and a bogey on the fourth. The Tucson native continued her dominance on the final nine with two birdies, two bogeys and 5 pars.
Luebbers and Rodgers both finished four over. Luebbers finished with three birdies, a double bogey, five bogeys and 9 pars, while Rodgers had 14 pars and four bogeys. Husted had a tournament-best eight over with two birdies, ten bogeys and 6 pars.
Rounding out the group was Turner at +13 with an eight-over front nine and five over on the final nine. McRee led the way, finishing tied for fourth at three over while finishing tied for seventh in birdies (9) and tied for second in average score on 5 pars at -5.
Luebbers followed by tying for tenth at five over. She finished tied for third on average score on 4 pars at +2 (4.07) and second in birdies with 12.
Rodgers finished at +12 while tying for fifth in average score on pars at +1 (3.08). Rounding out the group came Turner, tied in 85th at +24, and Husted in 91st at +30.
The Bobcats will be back in action March 2-3 in Wallace, North Carolina, for UNC Wilmington’s River Landing Classic.
