Minnetonka girls’ golf team veteran Tess Baril feels like most prep golfers in the state at this point in the season – she’s just starting to get comfortable with her swing.

“We’ve played a few meets and that always helps,” she said. “I finally started to swing better in our meet with Hopkins. It was a perfect day and warm weather makes it easier to score well, too.”

Baril carded a nine-hole score of 44 May 1 at the Oak Ridge Country Club in Hopkins, helping lead the Skippers to a 176-190 dual meet win over the Royals.

“We’re starting to put some better scores up as the season goes on,” said Minnetonka senior Lauryn Job, who fired a 46.

“We’ve been working a lot on our short games, because that’s always the part of your game that’s behind the others,” said Job.

“In the offseason and in the first couple weeks in practice, you can hit woods and long irons into a net, but you can’t really practice chipping and putting until you get on a course,” she said.

Minnetonka sophomore Taylor Post was the meet medalist, firing a 41.

Senior Katie Cambpell shot 45 and Steffi Comer and Alex Fleming each fired 46s.

“We’ve played in a few tournaments and finished in the middle of the pack,” Job said. “As a team, our goal is like everybody else in our section – we want to compete for a spot in the state meet.”

The Royals struggled a bit at Oak Ridge last week, finishing with 190 team strokes for nine holes.

Brittany Levens led the way with a 44, while Amanda Woodhull shot 47 and Meghan Marty 49.

Rose Kelly carded a 50, Molly Ostroot a 52 and Jenna Westerham a 55.

“We’re hitting the ball well,” Royals girls’ golf coach Jane Kleinman said. “But the girls have really struggled with their short games, especially putting.”

The loss to Minnetonka was the Royals’ third Classic Lake loss of the season.

They’ve played two other conference dual meets, including losses to Edina (185-184 at Edina Country Club) and to Wayzata (192-185 at Oak Ridge).

The Royals opened their season two weeks ago with a 173-176 win over Chaska at the Chaska Town Course.

In that dual meet, a pair of sophomores led the way, as Levens fired a 39 and Kelly a 42.

According to Kleinman, Levens’ 39 still stands as the Royals’ best nine hole round of the season.

“Our record in dual meets doesn’t reflect the talent and ability of this team,” Kleinman said.

Hopkins has played in three tournaments, finishing second in two.

In the eight-team Minnesota Valley Tournament, Woodhull’s 18-hole total of 88 took fifth place and paced the Royals to a second place team finish with 369 strokes.

At the 12-team Cardinal Invitational at the Legacy Course in Brainerd last month, Levens’ 89 led Hopkins to another second-place finish.

On Monday, April 30, the Royals took sixth place at the Chaska Invitational, firing a team total of 365. Kelly was low scorer with an 87, while Woodhull and Levens each carded 88s.

“So far, we’ve been trying to get some of the other girls to close the gap on our top three golfers,” Kleinman said. “Meghan (Marty), Jenna (Westerham) and Molly (Ostroot) have been lowering their scores as the season goes on.

“We have a very talented and young team which is playing in an extremely competitive conference and section,” the coach added. “We don’t feel like we’ve played our best golf year this season.”