The Belles fell to Olivet College and Hope College at the Ravines Golf Club in Saugatuck, Mich., on Wednesday.
Olivet won the three-team jamboree with a final total of 323. Hope shot a 340 while Saint Mary's shot a 345.
Olivet's sophomore Theresa Damico took the individual title with a 74.
The Arnold Palmer designed course provided a stiff test for every team, but Belles coach Mark Hamilton said that the course should not be an excuse for the Belles' poor play.
"The course is a bit visually intimidating," Hamilton said. "But if you just drive the ball straight and keep the ball in play, the course is very manageable."
The Belles, who had high expectations heading into the season, have yet to win an MIAA match and their best finish in a tournament was a tie for eighth at the O'Brien National Invitational.
"We are just frustrated with the results. We did not play well today," Hamilton said. "We have good holes and we have a lot of good nines, but we have a hard time backing it up."
Senior Christine Brown led the Belles with an 84, which left her tied for sixth. Freshman Janice Heffernan continued her solid campaign with the Belles' second best score with an 86, which left her in a tie for 11th.
Junior Cara Kielty also had a solid round with an 88 and tied for 18th.
"We make too many mistakes," Hamilton said. "Christine Brown played well today, she shot two-over on the back nine, but she also had four penalty strokes. We have to clean up our rounds."
The Belles will be in action this Saturday and Sunday for the DePauw Small College Classic at Deer Creek Golf Course, a two-day tournament that features four of the top-10 teams in the country.
Contact Joe Wirth at
jwirth@nd.edu
