Julia Garcia, Olivia Deakins, and Olivia Mitchell
Craig Pullen and Cindy Sterling
Thank you to all the volunteers of the Dallas Baptist University Classic tournament in September. To all the homeowners who volunteered their homes, spotted, and scored for the players, a big thank you!
Many homeowners who volunteered their homes shared stories of pool parties, pizza parties, and get-togethers with other homeowners and now have new friendships. Along with homeowners, we heard many stories from coaches and players. This is our favorite tournament due to the welcoming of our residents and home cooked meals during their stay. The “kick off” meal presented by Dallas Baptist University (DBU) was some of the best brisket we have ever tasted. The master BBQers slept by the BBQ for two days while they prepared the food for the dinner. A fabulous time was had by all. Without our Robson Ranch volunteers, this tournament would not be possible.
The Rundown:
No. 1 DBU claimed second place in the talent-heavy field of the 2023 DBU Classic that concluded with a one-hole playoff where they fell to No. 5 Findlay University. Olivia Deakins from Saint Leo won the event on the individual side, finishing with a five-hole total of –9, 207. DBU’s Olivia Mitchell and Julia Garcia finished the tournament in the top 10 individually.
The Patriots started the day in first place, with Findlay trailing by three strokes. Both Barry University and UIndy were seven strokes from the lead. The first nine holes for DBU were littered with bogeys as they fought to stay in control of the lead. At the turn, they had dropped to eight shots back of the lead but gained control in the final nine holes, as they earned seven birdies combined. Junior Olivia Mitchell contributed three of those birdies, scoring a -3, 33 on her final nine of the tournament.
DBU’s final nine holes totaled three under par, and they finished their final 45 holes at an impressive 13 under par. The Patriots finished the day with a team score of –1, 292, and a 54-hole total of 863. Their comeback was enough to force a playoff with Findlay who also finished 1 under for the tournament. The sudden death playoff on hole number 10 went in favor of Findlay, but on GolfStat, DBU and Findlay are co-champions for this event. The playoff was strictly for the trophy.
Coach Trapp commented that the field competing in this tournament was one of the strongest regular season events all year and even compared it to Nationals. Eight of the 11 teams in the field are ranked in the top 25, according to the WGCA, and five of those eight teams are ranked in the top 10. DBU’s impressive comeback and gritty back-nine play is a testament to their talent and why they are ranked No. 1 in the nation.
Individually, two Patriots claimed top-10 finishes, with Olivia Mitchell leading DBU in 7th place. Mitchell jumped 12 spots up the leaderboard following her 2-under finish on the day. Julia Garcia finished even par, placing her tied for 10th, and Jordan Karrh followed in 16th place. Eryn Garza (B) placed 20th, and she was followed by freshman Ella Cheek, who finished +4 for the tournament, and Madison Ude (B), who finished in 24th place, on Tuesday at Robson Ranch Golf Club in Denton, Texas.