Women’s Golf Finish Second at Diffee Ford Invitational

EDMOND- The University of Central Oklahoma women’s golf team came up short, finishing second in the Diffee Ford Invitational last week.

The two-day tournament, with 17 teams competing, was hosted by Southern Nazarene University at KickingBird Golf Club on Tuesday. 

The Bronchos as a team posted a +39, finishing with a score of 17-over-par on day one and 22-over-par on day two. 

Central finished five strokes behind SW Oklahoma State, who had +34 overall, shooting 11-over-par on day one and 23-over-par on day 2. 

Estela Castillo, the Junior from Spain, was the leading individual golfer for the Bronchos, posting a three-over-par on day one and four-over-par on day two. Castillo finished with a final score of 147, tying for sixth out of 95 golfers. 

Castillo said she believes this will be the start of a good season, not just individually but collectively as a team.

“Playing at our home course for a tournament is always a different experience since it’s somewhere so familiar. I truly enjoyed having the people I love the most coming to see me play.”

Scarlet Sturch, a Junior from Durant, also had a top 10 finish, shooting 150 total for the Bronchos, staying consistent in both days of the tournament. Sturch shot five-over-par and rose seven spots on the final day to tie for tenth.

Finishing a stroke outside of the top 10 was the freshman from Austin, Texas, Grace Hall, who shot 11-over-par overall, tying for 13th. 

Hall finished just four-over-par on day one, but struggled on day two, shooting seven-over-par, falling 4 spots on the final day, finishing with 151. 

Layne Ailshie gave the Bronchos four finishes in the top 20, shooting a final score of 153 across the two-day tournament. 

Makaylee Cowan missed the top 20 by one stroke, shooting a 154 and eight-over -par on day one and six-over-par on day two. 

The Bronchos had two more freshmen competing as individuals. Reagan Plank finished with a total 18-over-par 158, and Faith Principato shot a 30-over-par 170.

The Bronchos travel to the Sunshine State for the Emerald Coast Classic in Destin, Florida, for a three-day tournament, which began earlier today.