Carbondale Reporter

Southern Illinois Women's Golf concluded its first tournament of the season with a seventh-place finish at the Green Wave Invite on Tuesday in Avondale, La.

Kayla Sayyalinh and Pihla Pennanen tied for the team lead, each finishing 16th with a score of 224 (+8). This tournament marked Pennanen's debut at the collegiate level, and Head Coach Rory Weinfurther expressed satisfaction with the freshman's performance.

"Pihla has been working hard in practice and has such a great attitude," Weinfurther said. "She's always ready for the challenge and was really prepared to play well this weekend which she did and wants to keep working hard."

The other Saluki golfers' results were as follows:

Kylee Vaughan: T-32nd, 234 (+18)

Ella Overstreet: T-39th, 238 (+22)

Morgan Gindler: 45th, 251 (+35)

Despite it being her first tournament coaching the team, Weinfurther believes she gained valuable insights about the team's strengths and areas for improvement.

"This weekend I got to see what they like during tournaments, best spots for me to be, and also learned about their determination and attitudes during tournaments," she said. "36 holes requires you to be mentally tough so I was able to see our mental toughness and what we can work on in the future as well."

Saluki Women's Golf will next compete on Monday, September 16, at The Velvet, hosted by Murray State.

For updates on the Salukis, follow the team on X (@SIU_WGolf), Facebook (@Saluki Women's Golf), and Instagram (@siu_wgolf).