Women's Golf Southern Conference

SoCon Women's golf round-up for Oct. 19th

Wachovia/Great Smokies Intercollegiate, Waynesville, NC October 19th

Western Carolina

Despite every effort to regain the course, the Sixth Annual Wachovia-Great Smokies Intercollegiate was suspended due to weather, leaving first-round leading Western Carolina as the 2004 team champion. The Lady Catamounts fired an all-time school and tournament record 291 in the opening round to claim the team title at the par 72, 5,828-yard Waynesville Country Club for the third consecutive year.

The start of the second round was delayed half an hour to 10:00 am because of rain on an already damp course. The trio of hurricanes that pounded Western North Carolina during September and October caused severe flooding in the Waynesville and Canton areas and raised the water table. Periods of rain on Monday evening through Tuesday morning made the course unplayable.

This is the first-time in the events six-year history that all scheduled rounds have not been completed. The 1999 Great Smokies Collegiate Championship, held on October 25-26, endured the events only other delay, an hour setback due to frost on the course.

"Even with the early morning drizzle, we approached today with all intentions of completing the scheduled 18 holes," said Western Carolina Head Coach, and tournament coordinator, Steve Lott. "We moved pins then imposed the half hour delay. However heavier rain showers with more predicted forced us to suspend play. Many fairways and greens were under water when we made our decision."

Western Carolina junior Ashley Hovda, the leader after the first round with the second-best tournament single-round score of 67, was declared the tournament individual champion. It marks the fourth-consecutive year that a Lady Catamount golfer has medalled in the event. She joins Catamount golfers Brandy Andersen (2002, 2003), the tournaments only two-time winner, Line Cordes (2001), and Tennessee Techs Cherry Bevis (2000) and Kylie Crouch(1999) on the event all-time individual champions list.

Hovdas teammate Bianca Melone joined Murray States Santie Koch and Xaviers Tatia Jreige as tournament runners-up, each shooting even par on Monday. Rounding out the all-tournament team were Maria Ringdahl and Ashley Barton, both from East Tennessee State, Stephanie Hicks from Longwood University, Morgan Olds from Elon, and Sarah Sparks from Xavier.

"I am very proud of this team and how we played this week," Lott commented on his squads victory. "We have struggled this year thus far and finally put it together yesterday for a great round." For Lott, the victory was his 10th as the Western Carolina head coach. Each of the tournament wins have come in the past three years.

Westerns scoring was rounded out by freshman Kandy Carland in a five-way tie for 16th at three-over, 75, Andersen tied for 32nd at five-over, 77, and freshman Lucinda Davies tied for 67th, carding an 80.

The Lady Catamounts return to action on November 1-2 as they travel to Kiawah Island, S.C. to take part in the Edwin Watts/Palmetto Intercollegiate.



October, 18th

East Tennessee State:
The talented East Tennessee State tandem of junior Ashley Barton (Seffner, Fla.) and freshman Maria Ringdahl (Farjestaden, Sweden) both finished tied for fifth at 1-over-par 73, helping lead the Lady Bucs to a fourth-place team standing following first-round play Monday at the Great Smokies Women's Collegiate at the Waynesville Country Club.

The Lady Bucs are 10-strokes back of first-place and host team Western Carolina, which shot a school-record 291 to lead the 24-team field. Barton and Ringdahl are just one stroke back of second place, but Western's Ashley Hovda holds a commanding five-stroke lead following a first round 67.

As for the rest of the Lady Bucs, freshman Natalia Giraldo (Cali, Colombia) is currently tied for 10th at 2-over, while senior Danielle O'Reilly (Whistler, British Columbia) and junior Kailey Brooks (Bracebridge, Ontario) are both tied for 77th.

Second and final round play will wrap up on Tuesday.

Western Carolina:
Western Carolina junior Ashley Hovda fired a career-low 67 to lead the Lady Catamounts to a five-stroke lead after the first round of the Sixth Annual Wachovia-Great Smokies Intercollegiate at the par 72, 5,828-yard Waynesville Country Club.

Hovda's five-under par tally ranked as the second-best single-round, one-stroke behind teammate Brandy Andersen's round of 66 carded in 2002. She was the only player on the day to finish under par. It also ranks second on WCU's all-time individual rounds list.

Western's tournament-low 291 set a pair of records including the lowest single-round in the Great Smokies Intercollegiate, as well as an all-time school record for best single-round score. The Catamounts hold a six-stroke advantage over Murray State, who finished with a team tally of 297. The Racers were led by senior Santie Koch with a 72 (37-35), followed by Xavier in third, two strokes back at 299. Rounding out the top five were East Tennessee State and Tennessee Tech, tied in fourth at 301.

Koch stands in a three-way tie for the runner-up position, tied with freshman Taita Jreige of Xavier and sophomore Bianca Melone of Western Carolina who each came in at even par 72. A five-way tie for fifth place at one-over par, 73, trails the top four. The quadruple knot includes a pair from East Tennessee State in freshman Maria Ringdahl (35-38) and junior Ashley Barton (34-39), senior Morgan Olds from Elon (36-37), senior Sarah Sparks from Xavier (35-38), and junior Stephanie Hicks from Longwood University, who rallied from a 40 on the front nine to card a 33 on the back.

In all, nine individual and team single-round records were either tied or broken on Monday.

Highlighting the first day of competition was a hole-in-one by Cincinnati sophomore, Sarah Bires on the par three, 145-yard hole number two on the Blue Ridge course. Bires joins WCU's Andersen as the only other player to achieve the feat in the tournament's six-year history.

For Western Carolina, in addition to Hovda and Melone, freshman Kandy Carland shot a 75, tied for 16th, followed by defending tournament champion, Andersen, who carded a 77 to place in a tie for 32nd. Freshman Lucinda Davies shot 80 on the day to place in a tie for 67th after one.

The final round of the Wachovia-Great Smokies Women's Intercollegiate is set to begin on Tuesday, October 19 at 9:30 am with a shotgun start with first-round scores will determine the pairings.

Wofford:
The Wofford women's golf team is in 18th place out of 24 teams following day one's competition at the Wachovia-Great Smokies Intercollegiate in Waynesville, N.C.

Leading the Terriers is sophomore Laura Parris (Spartanburg, S.C.). The Dorman High graduate is tied for 44th with a 6-over-par 78 (39-39).

Teammates Ashley Current (Louisville, Ky.) and Lauren Stephenson (Cape Coral, Fla.) are one shot behind her with a 7-over-par 79 with each recording a 40-39 to tie for 55th place.

Freshman Mary Ellen Herring (Lillington, N.C.) is tied for 112th with a 41-45--86 (+14).

The two-round, two-day event at the Waynesville Country Club will conclude tomorrow.

Wofford Individuals:
T44--Laura Parris, 39-39--78 (+6)
T55--Ashley Current, 40-39--79 (+7)
T55--Lauren Stephenson, 40-39--79 (+7)
T112--Mary Ellen Herring, 41-45--86 (+14)

Top-10 Individuals:
1--Ashley Hovda (Western Carolina), 33-34--67 (-5)
T2--Santie Koch (Murray State), 37-35--72 (E)
T2--Taita Jreige (Xavier), 36-36--72 (E)
T2--Bianca Melone (Western Carolina), 37-35--72 (E)
T5--Maria Ringdahl (East Tennessee State), 35-38--73 (+1)
T5--Stephanie Hicks (Longwood), 40-33--73 (+1)
T5--Ashley Barton (East Tennessee State), 34-39--73 (+1)
T5--Morgan Olds (Elon), 36-37--73 (+1)
T5--Sarah Sparks (Xavier), 35-38--73 (+1)
T10--Melissa Depuy (William & Mary), 36-38--74 (+2)
T10--Megan French (Tennessee Tech), 35-39--74 (+2)
T10--Melissa Juve (Dayton), 34-40--74 (+2)
T10--Anna Stocker (Appalachian State), 39-35--74 (+2)
T10--Natalia Giraldo (East Tennessee State), 37-37--74 (+2)
T10--Ilka Loubser (Murray State), 36-38--74 (+2)

Team Scores:
1--Western Carolina, 291 (+3)
2--Murray State, 297 (+9)
3--Xavier, 299 (+11)
T4--East Tennessee State, 301 (+13)
T4--Tennessee Tech, 301 (+13)
6--Elon, 303 (+15)
7--William & Mary, 306 (+18)
8--Gardner-Webb, 308 (+20)
9--Eastern Kentucky, 309 (+21)
10--Longwood, 310 (+22)
11--Samford, 311 (+23)
12--Appalachian State, 313 (+25)
13--Cincinnati, 316 (+28)
T14--Western Kentucky, 318 (+30)
T14--South Alabama, 318 (+30)
T14--Austin Peay State, 318 (+30)
17--Lipscomb, 320 (+32)
18--Wofford, 322 (+34)
19--Belmont, 324 (+36)
20--Dayton, 325 (+37)
21--High Point, 326 (+38)
22--Loyola (Ill.), 330 (+42)
23--Evansville, 331 (+43)
24--Mobile, 354 (+66)

Wofford women's golfer Laura Robinson (Paget, Bermuda) will represent her home country in the World Amateur Team Championship, Oct. 20-23, at the Rio Mar Country Club in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico.

The tournament will take place at two courses at the country club. The Ocean course is slated for 6,076 yards, and the River course is set for 5,854 yards, both at par 72.
Each country which competes sends three participants for the 72-hole stroke play format. The lowest two scores per nation for the 51 women's teams count towards the Espirito Santo Trophy.

"This is like a major championship for amateur golf and that's the way we plan to treat it," said Sidney Wolf, president of the Puerto Rico Golf Association.

In order to be eligible for the event, players must be amateur golfers under the Rules of Amateur Status of either The Royal and Ancient Golf Club in St. Andrews, Scotland, or the U.S. Golf Association.

"It's a huge honor for her," said Terrier associate director of golf Angie Ridgeway. "To have a member of your own program is any type of world event is tremendous. We are all proud of her no matter what she accomplishes during the event. She certainly has the talent to play with anyone there."

Wofford is concluding its fall season today at the Great Smokies Invitational in Waynesville, N.C. In their previous three fall tournaments, the Terriers have increased their team finish each time. After starting the campaign in fourth, they registered a third-place finish before capturing the program's first tournament title with a first-place result at the Coca-Cola C2-Wofford Autumn Invitational last week.
At the home event, Robinson garnered a second-place finish with a 7-over-par 151. She is tied for the team lead with a 78.6 stroke average through the first three fall tournaments.
She will be allowed to carry her Wofford golf bag during the World Amateur Team Championship.