DENVER – For the first time since March, MSU Denver will be competing in a sporting event.
On Monday and Tuesday, the Roadrunners' women's golf team will play in The Swan Memorial, a seven-team event hosted by Colorado Christian that will be held at the Todd Creek Golf Club in Thornton, Colo.
"It seems weird that we're able to play," MSU Denver coach Stef Ferguson said. "We're just one of the two sports (cross country is the other) that are able to compete (per Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference rules due to COVID-19) in the fall.
"But the girls are excited."
Due to a number of factors, the Roadrunners will be able to field a team of only three for their two fall tournaments.
But those three –
Kika Dzoan,
Sydney Eye and
Winnie Shaw – are seasoned veterans.
"It will nice to be able to get those three even more experience this fall and then we'll be able to do more as a team in the spring," Ferguson said.
Ferguson expects to have at least the five-player minimum ready to tackle the spring season.
Dzoan, a senior, has the most experience. She's seventh in program history with a career scoring average of 82.6 and last year averaged 80.6, second best on the team.
"Kika knows what to expect and she's looking good right now," Ferguson said. "She's so steady, and we're looking for her to give us consistent scores."
Eye had a strong freshman season and gets a do-over since student-athletes have retained their lost seasons of eligibility due to COVID-19. She was third on the team with an 82.0 average and turned in a pair of rounds of 76 last season
"Syd is looking really, really good," Ferguson said. "Last year we made a couple of minor swing changes and she didn't hit it as well as she can. She'll play more to her potential this year. As far as she hits it, she should be around par more often."
Shaw, once again a sophomore in eligibility, had an 85.3 average, and she flashed her potential with a 78-82—160 showing at the RJGA Shootout at Estrella.
"With Winnie, it has been a two-year swing change, and I think she's getting more consistent," Ferguson said. "She should have a good year as well. She's kind of a wild card. She had some rounds in the 60s this summer."
Because of the individuality of golf, Ferguson's team may not have been as disrupted as others in their off-season workouts.
And the tournament will have some COVID-related changes – players will warm up in masks and coaches will wear masks throughout the tournament.
"We weren't able to officially practice until Sept. 1, and the weather has made it tough the past few days," Ferguson said. "But other than that it has been kind of the usual."
