By Ron Smith
March 29, 2023
 
(LLANO, Calif.) Westmont Men's and Women's Golf participated in the TMU Spring Invitational on Monday and Tuesday at the Crystalaire Country Club. The women's team took second place in a field of six teams while the men tied for fifth among 12 teams.
 
The women's team posted a score of 633 (+57) for two rounds, six strokes back of Hope International who won the event.
 
"Mallory Hopper led the way for the women," reported Westmont's head coach Josh Ault. "She had a new driver and she really crushed that thing.
 
"We had three of our women in the top ten – Mallory Hopper, Liz Oloteo and Meredith McDougal. All of our women improved their score from round one to round two and we had all five golfers in the 70s.
 
"Westmont women did everything right today, they came to win. Hope just played really well and won. It was back and forth all day and a very exciting contest. Halfway through the day, we were still in first place."
 
Hopper shot rounds of 79 and 78 to tie for sixth place with a score of 157 (+13). One stroke back, in a tie for ninth place were Oloteo and McDougal. Oloteo shot an 80 on Monday and came back with a 78 on Tuesday. McDougal carded rounds of 81 and 77.
 
Kat Bevill and Charlie Bloom were part of a four-way tie for 12th place with a score of 160. Bevill posted rounds of 81 and 79 and Bloom recorded an 83 and a 77.
 
The Westmont men's team tied Oregon Tech with 617 strokes (+41) to share fifth place with the Hustlin' Owls. The Master's won the event with 591 strokes. Our Lady of the Lake was second with a score of 598 points. Providence Christian took third (609) and Hope International finished fourth (617).
 
"Brock Yurkovich led the way for the men," noted Ault. "He made a great closing putt on 18 that tied us for fifth position. With one of our key starters out, it was nice that all three of our freshmen contributed (Noah Lodewyk, Cooper Allen, Danny Manginelli). Noah shot a 73 in round one."
 
Yurkovich finished tied for 11th place, with a score of 151 after posting rounds of 75 and 76. Lodewyk followed up his round of 73 with an 84 and tied for 24th with a 157. Manginelli and Allen each posted a two-round score of 158 to tie for 29th.
 
The Warriors will be back in action on Monday and Tuesday, April 3 and 4, when they host the Got Soule Classic at Ojai's Soule Park Golf Course.