The Grand Valley State women’s golf team competed at the annual Bing Beall Classic at the Findlay Country Club Sunday and Monday, Oct. 9-10. The Lakers (626) finished just one stroke behind the host team, Findlay (625), and 10 strokes behind the tournament winners, Missouri-St. Louis (616).

After the first round on Sunday, the Lakers found themselves sitting in third place. GVSU shot a 311, only two strokes out of first place and one stroke out of second place.

Monday, GVSU remained in third place (315). The Lakers shot just four strokes higher this round, but still remained one stroke out of second place behind Findlay. GVSU coach Rebecca Mailloux was not content with how the weekend played out, even though the Lakers posted two quality outings.

“We didn’t putt well yesterday and we didn’t hit the ball well today,” Mailloux said. “I don’t think we played well. Obviously we would have liked to come out on top, but we can’t do that every time.”

Of course, when a team goes to a tournament, they’re dead set on winning gold. This time, the Lakers had to settle for bronze.

Not only is Mailloux not content with a third-place honor, the team isn’t either. This is mostly because both Missouri-St Louis and Findlay are in GVSU’s region, and the Lakers need to take them down in order to advance to the national tournament, also held at the Findlay Country Club.

When asked if the team as a whole is happy with after finishing in third, senior Alex Taylor spoke for her team.

“Oh, absolutely not,” she said. “We never go into a tournament fully expecting to win, but we really work our hardest to try to be on top.”

Mailloux spoke to the importance of having success over teams in their region.

“This is the preview to the national championship.” Mailloux said. “We’ve seen the golf course, but our freshmen hadn’t. We saw the golf course playing the toughest it could possibly play, and if we get to the national championship in the spring I think that will definitely help.”

GVSU’s team-leader freshman Katie Chipman shot just 3-over-75 Sunday, but come Monday she shot four strokes higher than she did on Sunday (79).

“I didn’t hit as many greens in regulation as I did on Sunday. (On Monday) I was hitting out of the rough trying to get on the green and that made it a little more difficult,” Chipman said.

Taylor, the GVSU golfer with the second-lowest score, shot a 3 over-75 Sunday, but shot 9-over-81 Monday.

“I think I got off to more of a rough start,” Taylor. “Had a double bogey on my fourth hole and I think that sort of stuck in my mind, but (Sunday) I was one under par through four holes, so I think that gave me confidence.”

The Lakers are set to compete in the Big Apple Lady Invitational at Elmwood Country Club in White Plains, New York next Monday, Oct. 17.