Jose Gonzalez-Campelo/The Cougar
Houston women’s golf earned an eighth-place finish this weekend at the Schooner Fall Classic, ending with a total of 845 throughout the 54-hole event at Belmar Golf Club in Norman, Okla.
After winning the event last season, the Cougars had several setbacks and challenges throughout the tournament.
The event was originally scheduled to be from Saturday through Monday, and 18 holes were to be played each day.
The weather had other plans and forced the event to be shortened to just Saturday and Sunday, and teams had to endure a grueling 36-hole opening day.
Schooner Classic individual results
Senior Natalie Saint Germain picked up right where she left off in the Schooner Classic last year, firing rounds of 67 and 69 on Saturday, and she went on to finish 1-under par and tied for 16th.
“I really love this course, it is super fun,” Saint Germain said after last season’s victory.
The Prague native finished in fifth place last year and shot a school-record 64 in the event in 2022.
Saint Germain has now placed top-20 in this event three times and continued her dominance of the tournament over the weekend.
Senior Alexa Saldana also rebounded from a 71 in the opening round with a bogey-free 66 and finished the event with a score of 210.
Junior Ellen Yates also posted a 210 and shot Houston’s best score in the final round with an even-par 70.
The duo ended up tying for 21st place and made a strong showing in the season opener.
Sophomore transfer Emilia Vaisto carded a 216 to tie for 51st in her debut with the Cougars.
Senior Moa Svedenskiold had a breakout season last year for Houston and was only the third Cougar in history to reach the NCAA Championships as an individual qualifier.
In this event, she finished close behind Vaisto and placed 57th with a final score of 217.
Houston’s redshirt freshman Chiara Brambilla also got a shot at this event in her first collegiate outing and shot a 222 and finished in 73rd place.
Oklahoma State claimed the individual title with a 822, and the Cougars tied with Virginia Tech in an eighth-place tie with a team total of 845.
Brief history of the Schooner Classic
The Schooner Classic was first organized by the famous country singer Toby Keith and his wife Tricia.
The event was first played in 2018, and even with the passing of Keith in 2024, the event is still run in his honor.
The tournament benefits several charities and non-profit organizations, but most of the money goes towards the Toby Keith Foundation.
Their mission is to encourage local pediatric cancer patients’ health and happiness and also support the OK Kids Korral.
The winner of the tournament also receives guitar-shaped trophies to honor the legacy Keith left on the state of Oklahoma.
Up next
Houston women’s golf now sets their focus on the Jim West Challenge, set for Oct. 19-20 at Kissing Tree Golf Club in San Marcos, Texas.
The Cougars will then wrap up their fall slate the following week at the Landfall Tradition in Wilmington, North Carolina, from Oct. 24-26.
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