Last year at this time, the Flagler College van was heading east across Florida from Destin to St. Augustine with a bitter taste in its mouth. Santiago Cavanagh’s team enjoys competing at the Raven Golf Club in Sandestin but losing by one shot to Nova Southeastern was not a pleasant experience.
The results on Tuesday were a complete 180, with Flagler College soaring high after a 21 shot victory.
Cavanagh stated, “It makes it even more special knowing that we were so close to winning last year.” This is our favorite event, we love golfing, and it’s challenging. The entire week is special. “I know the girls were desperate to win this week.”
The team won the Golfweek Division II Fall Invitational by going five over par at the Raven Golf Club in Flagler’s first start of the season. The Saints took an eight-shot advantage in the first round, and never looked behind. They finished 21 shots ahead Rogers State.
Flagler broke the record of lowest round and 54-hole score with their final 5-under 279 in the final round.
Cavanagh stated that the golf course was in excellent condition, as it was last season. The greens were softer this year than they were last year, so it was better. The first two days were extremely windy. Both days, we had winds of 15 to 20 miles per hour. Today was much less windy, maybe 8 to 12, so it was more manageable. “But the golf course is amazing.”
Stella Jelinek is a sophomore German golfer who finished 54 holes with a score of 4 under par. She won the medal by 5 shots over Lydia Sitorus from Rogers State, and Yuliana Ypur from Texas A&M International. Jelinek started the week off with a 2-under-69, but had a rough round on Day 2, and ended up at 74. She posted her first college bogey free round on Tuesday, a 5-under-66. She then calmly pulled ahead.
“She really wanted to win,” Cavanagh said. Cavanagh stated that she didn’t get the round she wanted on yesterday, and today she was behind. “She was calm throughout the day. She just kept playing. It was a close battle until the very end. You’ll close the gap if you get five birdies without any bogeys.”
Flagler’s Stella Jelinek
Flagler won its home event just three weeks after a close call last year at Golfweek. Last spring, Flagler’s Saints finished second in the Peachbelt Conference Championship, and advanced to the NCAA Division II Super Regional where their season ended.
Flagler’s start to the season was somewhat jarring. They arrived at the NCAA South Region Preview in Cleveland Country Club, Tennessee, eager to begin a successful fall campaign. However, they finished ninth among 17 teams.
Cavanagh stated, “We went there feeling very confident and not getting the finish that you want is like a bucket full of cold water.”
Cavanagh’s team was motivated by the disappointing opening to prepare better for the next event. This is not difficult, considering the players love the tournament.
Cavanagh takes a look at the lineup for this year and is impressed by the combination of new and old blood. The rest of the season will be a tough one, as Flagler’s Fall Slam, and the Rollins hosted National Championship Fall Preview, which is to be held at Orange County National, in Orlando, Florida, are scheduled for this month.
He said, “We are going to one tournament at a moment and I have a team I am not surprised by when I see the numbers.”
