Historic performances everywhere as Ephs win Polar Bear Shootout by 31 strokes

BRUNSWICK, Maine - An exceptional and historic performance gave Williams women's golf a 31-stroke victory in the Polar Bear Shootout this weekend. The Ephs finished with a team score of 22-under-par, setting multiple individual and team records along the way.

The team set records for both 18 holes (Sunday's 15-under) and 36 holes (22-under for the tournament. Additionally, Natalie Cheong set a two-round Williams record at 7-under, and Michelle Ding shot a school record 7-under-par for 18 holes on Sunday. 

The team scores - 22-under-par over 36 holes, and Sunday's 15-under round - were also both school records and among the top performances in NCAA Division III history. The 22-under tournament score was way ahead of second-place Wesleyan University at 9-over.

"It was an unbelievable performance, and a huge credit to the women on the team," said Head Coach Tomas Adalsteinsson. "There were birdies everywhere! They knew they were capable of something like that, and weren't completely content with how they played in the last two events. They wanted to show how good they are and they certainly did that, in what has to be one of the lowest team scores in NCAA Division III history. I'm so proud of the team and happy for them. They have been working hard and it really paid off."

The Ephs also had the top three individuals in the event, led by Cheong, who shot under par on both days (-6 on Saturday, -1 on Sunday) to earn medalist honors. Her Williams- and course-record 6-under on Saturday was then bested by teammate Ding on Sunday, who shot a 7-under to set new records and finish in a tie as the second overall individual with teammate Euna Lee, who was also under par on both Saturday (-1) and Sunday (-5).

Petra Yee finished in a tie for sixth place overall at 2-under, and Zoe Wynn was tied for 11th at 2-over. Emma Abramson, playing as an independent, tied for 18th overall at 6-over, as all six Williams players played excellent golf in the 86-player field.

Cheong set the tournament on notice on Saturday with a course- and Williams-record 67 at the Par-73 Brunswick Golf Club. After a bogey on the opening 11th hole, Cheong had four straight pars, followed by an eagle on 16, a par on 17, and an eagle on 18. She continued to play bogey-free golf from then on, mixing in three birdies. 

A 1-under par 72 on Sunday gave her the Williams record for a 36-hole tournament.

"Insane rounds all throughout this weekend," said Cheong after the tournament on Sunday. "The team energy and vibes were through the roof and definitely contributed to this weekend's performance. I played well at Brunswick last year and I knew especially after that second eagle that I wanted to beat my record. My putts were sinking and my motivation grew each hole; a confidence boost I needed. So pumped for our last tournament of the fall and looking to bring the same energy from this weekend."

The rest of the team was also solid on Saturday, with Lee shooting 1-under, Yee and Wynn at even par, Ding at 1-over, and Abramson at 3-over. 

Sunday was Michelle Ding's day, as she was error-free from the start, with birdies on six of her first 10 holes. Her steady play continued, with seven pars and one birdie in her final eight holes of the day to take away the school record from Cheong, who held the honor for less than 24 hours. 

"I was just constantly telling myself to have confidence in my shots and to not worry about the outcome," said Ding. "I kept myself in the moment and committed to every shot I hit."

The team as a whole was on fire on Sunday, as all four players were under par. Lee shot an impressive 5-under, Yee was 2-under, and Cheong closed her school-record 36 hole performance with a 1-under-par 73.

The team will look to carry their momentum into the Golfweek October Classic in Destin, Fla., from October 11-14, the final event of the fall.