(Photo by Jeff Hasselmann) Spencer senior Kara Merchant blasts out of the fairway bunker on the par-4 312-yard 15th hole at Spencer Golf and Country Club Friday, May 9, 2008, during the Tigers' win over Newell-Fonda. Merchant put the shot on the green from 130 yards out and went on to shoot her best round of the season with a 42. [Order this photo]

Sports Editor

In the final meet before Monday's district tournament, the Spencer girls golf team turned in its best round of the season Friday, shooting a 183 at Spencer Golf and Country Club behind a school-record performance from Augustana College recruit Emily Holck.

The Tigers were 72 strokes better than Newell-Fonda, who shot 255.

"I think we're kind of coming into our own at the right time. We played real well Monday at the conference tournament, and we've improved from Monday until now," said Spencer head coach Marc Bruning, who improved to 75-18 in dual meets during his nine years with the girls program. "With MOC-Floyd Valley and Spirit Lake in our district, we'll have to play our best if we want to advance. We're going to have to play the kind of golf we played tonight."

Holck turned in the best 9-hole performance in Spencer school history, shooting a 1-over-par 37. "It's a school record, that really says enough in itself. For as many years as we've had a girls golf program in Spencer, and with the number of very good golfers to play in our program, for Emily to break the record is a big accomplishment," Bruning commented. "There again it just says a lot about the time she's put into the game to make herself a better player."

Holck carded a pair of birdies, five pars, one bogey and doubled bogeyed the par-4 15th. She closed out her round dropping an 8-foot par putt on the par-4 18th.

"She's got the game. Tonight, other than one hole, she put every part of the game together from tee to green," Bruning said of Holck. "She hit seven greens in regulation. Any time you do that, you're going to give yourself a darn good chance to post a score like that."

Spencer had two more individuals shoot their lowest rounds of the year. Kara Merchant earned runner-up medalist honors with a 42 and Katie Rettey added a 48. Ryan De Young and Katie Simons each shot 53 for the Tigers, Emily Andersen fired a 56.

The Tigers wrap up the regular season 9-2 in duals. Spencer is in action Monday in Class 3A District Tourmament play at Willow Creek Golf Course in Le Mars.