2021 Women's Golf Season Outlook

WILLIAMSTOWN, MASS. -- The new school year brings excitement and the long-awaited anticipation of the vast opportunities Williams College can bring. For all students, the COVID-19 pandemic has been a tough obstacle to overcome with online and/or hybrid classes and limited access to campus events and facilities. The Williams women's golf team missed out on their 2020 competitive fall season due to the pandemic. Nonetheless, the Eph players have used their time to focus on honing their technical and course management skills while strictly following social distancing protocols.
 
The Eph team's hard work has paid off. The Ephs were able to return to competitive golf last spring, playing in single day tournaments and the 2021 NCAA Tournament at Forest Akers Golf Course in East Lansing, Michigan. It was the 9th consecutive year in which the Ephs placed within the top five teams at the event when they finished fifth. Two returning players, Malini Rudra and Olivia White earned All-America honors. Rudra was an Honorable Mention All-American, while White and earned a spot on the All-American Second Team."
 
"I am so excited to start practicing and competing again this fall," said co-captain Olivia White. "We have a really solid lineup and I look forward to seeing what we're able to accomplish this year."
 
This year's Eph team numbers seven players with 2 seniors, 2 juniors, 2 sophomores and one first year.
 
First year Gio Kim '25, who is joining the six returning players hails from Upper Saddle River, N.J. and is a well-decorated player. She was a top performer on the AJGA and NJ junior tours. She has recorded a number of under par rounds coming into her first year at Williams and took multiple medalist honors at nationally ranked tournaments.   
 
With one first year joining the ranks, the 2021-2022 roster is the smallest it has ever been under head coach Tomas Adalsteinsson. "It is a smaller roster than we have had in the past, but it's also very exciting because every player brings a great amount of talent, skill level, and experience," noted Adalsteinsson.." If you look over the list of returners from our last full competitive season in 2019 as well as last year's shortened season, every returner has contributed to the team in a great way. Although smaller in number, this team has great depth. I think it is even stronger and greater in depth than in past years. It will be exciting to see who is going to step up each week and lead the team and place themselves in the top rankings in our line-up."
 
Supporting Gio Kim are sophomores Aishvarya Bedi and Tianyi Zhuang. Zhuang hopes to continue her successful freshman spring where she was captured NESCAC Rookie of the Year and medalist honors at the Hamilton Invitational and Williams Invitational. Bedi is coming off a strong summer, where she worked on her game in the sunny town of San Jose, Calif. As a housing coordinator on campus this year Bedi's early arrival has allowed her to enjoy Taconic Golf Course earlier than the other players who arrived on Sept 4^th and 5^th.
 
The Ephs also sport a strong junior class with two historically consistent players in Malini Rudra and Catalin Yturralde.  Rudra is coming off a momentous spring season, taking NESCAC Player of the Year honors as well as an All-American Honorable Mention recognition.
 
After spending the spring semester remotely, Yturralde is coming in stronger than ever with ample hours of competitive play in her hometown of San Diego, Calif. Yturralde competed in the amateur circuits over the summer preparing her well for the upcoming season.  
 
Finally, to top off the team of seven are seniors Joanna Kim and Olivia White. White was named to the All-American Second Team and has captured multiple medalist awards during previous fall and spring seasons. Following a remote fall and spring semester, Kim spent her summer on campus working diligently on her golf game and starting her senior thesis in Biology.
 
"We lost a big chunk of our team from last year, but I think our team is going to be stronger than ever," co-captain Joanna Kim commented. "We are so excited to welcome Gio to the team and continue to strive towards excellence on and off the course."
 
Following, a week of team qualifying rounds at Taconic Golf Club, the Ephs will tee it up for the first time this fall on Sept. 11 at the Hamilton Invitational at Yahnundasis Golf Club in New Hartford, NY.