CSB golf team finds their swing going into final fall tournaments

The College of St. Benedict golf team finished sixth this weekend out of 16 teams in the Gustie DIII Classic on Sept. 16-17 in Hastings, Minn.

St. Ben’s will look to make a run at the MIAC tournament after finishing fifth in last year’s conference championships.

Head coach Daryl Schomer is optimistic about making the championship this year.

“Making a run at the MIAC Championship is dependent on how well we recover from bad shots and bad holes. The course we’re playing this year [The Royal Club] will be a tough test for the entire field. If we minimize damages after our mistakes and make a few putts, we can contend,” he said.

The team has been working hard to improve this season and has goals of having a competitive season.

“Our goals for this season have been to work hard on our games, probably specifically the short game, to do the best at each event,” senior Emily Renner said. “Women’s golf in this conference is extremely competitive and demands great golf to be successful. We have been working hard at practice on various drills to not only improve our golf but our competitive mindset to take with us on the weekends.”

Renner is the only senior on the team this year. She finished in the top 40 in the tournament field.

“Being the only senior, this year is an interesting feeling. It’s weird that no one else on the team is in the same boat as me, knowing that this is my last year here has completely changed my perspective,” Renner said. “My college golf experience has gone by fast, I think partially due to the shortened seasons from COVID. I’m hoping to enjoy this last year regardless of the result and soak in every moment.”

Schomer has good things to say about Renner.

“Emily is one of the best at handling adversity on the course that I’ve ever coached. She carries herself with confidence and poise. Her teammates see and feed off those qualities and it makes us all better,” he said.

Sophomores Jamie Bimberg and Maggie Roth also had successful weekends. Roth finished tied for 39th, shooting a 166 through two rounds. Bimberg finished with a 160 through two rounds.

A two-sport athlete in both hockey and golf, Bimberg praised the team’s grittiness throughout the two-day tournament.

“We had a great weekend at the Gustie Invite. It’s a fun tournament to be a part of. We had a pretty good first day, but we knew we had more in us. The second day was a grind, and we moved up a couple places on the leaderboard,” Bimberg said. “I would say the team was very happy with our overall performance. Our hard work really showed.”

After one season, Bimberg feels like she is where she belongs on the team playing collegiate golf.

“I would say that having a year of college golf under my belt has helped me the most with my confidence and mental game, which is a huge part of being successful in golf. Because I have a lot of experience, I feel the need to be a leader on this team and show up every weekend for them,” Bimberg said.

Bimberg is one of two athletes on the golf team that also plays for the St. Ben’s hockey team. She said this has taught her good time management skills.

“Being a two-sport athlete is busy throughout the year with classes, but I really enjoy it. . . With both hockey and golf, I feel like I have two families that have my back, and I am so fortunate to compete at a high level in two sports I love so much.”

The golf team will travel to St. Paul, Minn. for the St. Catherine University’s invitational. The tournament will begin on Saturday and conclude on Sunday.