The Crookston Pirate Girl’s golf team shot a season-best 387 on Wednesday at the Fosston Invite held at the Bemidji Town and Country Club. The 387 was good for a tie with Park Rapids for fourth place. “Really proud of the girls and the way they played today,” said Pirates Coach Jeff Perreault. “They are playing this course well right now and it’s great to see.” The event was won by Fergus Falls with a 337.
Grace Fischer once again led the way for the Pirates. She recorded an impressive +5 41 on the front nine with four pars and five bogeys. The back nine played a little tougher for Fischer, specifically holes 17-18 where she shot a triple bogey and double bogey. She did manage two pars on the back nine, on the par-three 143-yard eleventh hole, and the par-four 257-yard sixteenth hole. She also had three bogeys on the back nine, and that was enough to shoot a team-best 87. “That is Grace’s best score that she has ever had,” said Pirates Coach Jeff Perreault. “She has really been in a groove as of late and everything for us starts at the top with her and her play.” Fischer managed to shave 9 strokes off her score from when she played the Bemidji Town and Country Club last week, and her score was good enough for a 5th place finish individually.
Halle Nicholas was the next best score for the Pirates shooting a 97 which was good for an 18th place finish individually. She carded a par on the 387-yard par-five fourth hole and added five bogeys to go along with two double bogeys and a triple bogey for a score of 48 on the front nine. On the back nine Nicholas had two pars (holes 10 and 14) to go along with two bogeys, four double bogeys, and a triple bogey for a score of 49, to finish with her total score of 97. “For Halle that was the first time that she has broken 100,” said Pirates Coach Jeff Perreault. “I’m incredibly proud of her and the work she has put in and it showed today.”
Ava Martin was next in line for the Pirates. However, at the start of the day, it was uncertain if Martin was going to be able to compete for the Pirates. “Ava was actually throwing up before the round and was not feeling well at all,” said Pirates Coach Jeff Perreault. “She was able to fight through it though and put up a good score. That’s what good teammates do and she was the ultimate warrior for us today.” On the front nine, Martin had three bogeys, and six double bogeys for a score of 51. Martin did not have any pars in the round but was extremely consistent avoiding the big numbers. On the back nine, she flipped her front nine scores and had six bogeys and three double bogeys for a score of 48, good enough to break 100 and card a 99 for Crookston. The 99 was good enough for a 22nd-place finish.
Kaylie Clauson was the last team score that the Pirates used. She started the front nine with three straight bogeys. She then finished the front nine with a bogey, double bogey, three triple bogeys, and a quadruple-bogey for a score of 55. The highlight of the round came on the 390-yard par-five fifteenth hole where Clauson managed the only birdie of the day for the Pirates. That helped her shoot a back nine score of 49, for a total score of 104. “That was the first time that Kaylie has played this course as a Varsity team member,” said Pirates Coach Jeff Perreault. “I was really happy with how she played and it was a very respectable round. She could be one of those girls that we’re looking at to break through our top 6 and consistently be in the lineup.”
Georgia Sanders had a tough start to the front nine taking a 10 on the 286-yard par-four first hole but responded with a par on the 136-yard par-three second. From there she would go on to shoot a front nine score of 57 with two bogeys, two double bogeys, and three triple bogeys. “Georgia was a little off today putting and was a little sporadic with the driver as well,” said Pirates Coach Jeff Perreault. “You aren’t going to have a good round every single time you play the game, and she is already looking at the ways she can improve and work on which is great to see. She isn’t going to let this round slow her down.” On the back nine, she shot a 54 for a total score of 111.
Morgan Nelson also participated in the event for the Pirates and had one par on the front nine, on the 301-yard par-four fifth hole. She also carded four double bogeys, two triple bogeys, and two quadruple bogeys for a score of 58 at the turn. On the back nine, Nelson scored back-to-back bogeys on the par-five 390-yard fifteenth hole and the par-four 257-yard sixteenth hole. however, her back nine ended with a 10 on hole 18 giving her a finishing back nine score of 63 and a total score of 121 on the day. “Morgan was not pleased with her performance today and even mentioned to me she wants to get to the driving range later tonight,” said Pirates Coach Jeff Perreault. “She knows where she needs to improve and again, she has the hunger to get better, and even though it wasn’t the score she was looking for, she is motivated to get back and keep playing.”
Crookston will next be in action this Friday when they compete in the Fergus Falls Invitational at Pebble Lake Golf Course. Results from the Fosston Invite are below.
| Teams | Pirates | Score | |
| 1. Fergus Falls- 337 | Grace Fischer | 87 | |
| 2. Perham- 361 | Halle Nicholas | 97 | |
| 3. East Grand Forks- 385 | Ava Martin | 99 | |
| 4. Crookston- 387 | Kaylie Clauson | 104 | |
| 5. Park Rapids- 387 | Georgia Sanders | 111 | |
| 6. BGMR- 397 | Morgan Nelson | 121 | |
| 7. Fosston- 414 | Top Individuals | Score | |
| 8. Roseau- 416 | 1. Anna Eckmann- PR | 72 | |
| 9. Fertile-Beltrami- 424 | 2. Annika Jyrkas- FF | 78 | |
| 10. Thief River Falls- 477 | 3. Mallory Belka- Perham | 80 |
