Holmes will gain from first IVWGO experience

PRINCETON — Kathy Riordan remembers the first year her daughter, Carrie, competed in the lllinois Valley Women’s Golf Open in 2002 at Edgewood in McNabb. She didn’t golf very well and left the course in tears.

Princeton’s Gwen Holmes didn’t have the best of days Sunday in her debut in the IVWGO at Hunter’s Ridge. Though she was frustrated for most of the day, she was consistent with rounds of 48 on the front and back sides. She finished 23 strokes behind first-place Carrie Riordan.

It’s an experience she said can only make her a better golfer as she prepares for her freshman season this fall for Millikin University in Decatur.

“It was pretty frustrating, to be honest,” she said. “I hit a few good shots, and I’d rather think of those shots than the bad ones ... You got to put it behind you. I’ve got a lot of golf to play here soon, so I got to learn from this and do better.”

Playing with golfers like Riordan, former ace for Eastern Illinois University, and ISU golfer Jackie Leonard was a good experience, Holmes said, because “they’re very calm. It’s good to learn from them.”

Riordan knows there will be better days ahead for Holmes.

“She’s got a great game,” Riordan said. “I told her what my coach told me back at school; everyone’s going to have a bad hole. You just got to prepare for them and overcome them. I want her to do well at Millikin and show her true talent. It’s fun. You’re only in college once.”

Holmes will be leaving Saturday for school, where she will pursue her golf and music careers at Millikin.

Long irons: Holmes will be ironing a few things out when she gets to Decatur. She recently bought some new clubs, but she says the irons are looking to be about an inch longer. She struggled with the new set on vacation in Branson, Mo., last week but stuck with them Sunday.

“Dad said I think we need to go back to your irons for this tournament, but I’m stubborn,” she said. “I’ll keep them, but we’re going to go back to get them figured out.”