Taylor Earns Co-Champion at Terrier Intercollegiate with Career Best Performance
SPARTANBURG, S.C. -- Wofford's Tarah Taylor finished the Terrier Intercollegiate tied for first with a personal best 145 36-hole score after two rounds on the par-72 5,972 yard Country Club of Spartanburg Tuesday.
After shooting a career low 18-hole round of 72 on Monday, Taylor followed it up with a 73 Tuesday to earn her first collegiate tournament win. Appalachian State's Yue Xu also finished tied first with a round of 72 and 73 for a 145.
As a team, the Terriers shot two rounds of 302 to finish in second place with a score of 604 Newberry College won the event with a 602, while Elon took third with a 604 -- the Terriers won the tiebreaker for second place.
Gardner-Webb took fourth place with a 614, and Presbyterian took fifth with a 615 rounding out the top five. High point, 617, Appalachian State, 619, USC Upstate, 648, and The Citadel, 660 completed the nine-team field.
Trailing Taylor for the Terriers was Sarah Hurt who followed up her day one round of 77 with a 75 for a 152 putting her in a tie for 12th place. Alex Hendricks finished tied for 14th with a 76-77--153 and Lauren Dunbar finished tied for 17th with a 77-77-154. Anne Marie Cover finished with a 78-81--159, but it was her 81 in the second round that broke the tiebreaker for Wofford giving them second place.
Wofford will tee-off again on at the UNCG Starmount Fall Classic on October 2 through October 4 for the next tournament.
Xu Wins Terrier Intercollegiate
SPARTANBURG, S.C. - Appalachian State University women's golfer Yue Xu (Beijing, China/HuiJia Private School) remained consistent on Tuesday to win the Terrier Intercollegiate. The junior carded a 72-73=145 (+1) at the 36-hole event to lead the Mountaineers, who placed seventh at 314-305=619 (+43).
Xu split the individual medal with host Wofford's Tarah Taylor, who matched Xu's scores on both days of the event. Xu carded five birdies and 25 pars at the event and led the 54-player field with a 4.05 average on the Spartanburg Country Club course's par-fours.
The third win of Xu's career gives her the most all-time for an App, passing current Wofford head coach Angie Ridgeway, who won two tournaments at ASU in the late 1980s.
Classmate Rumbidzai Masamvu (Harare, Zimbabwe/Dominican Convent) led the field with 26 pars and moved up from Monday to finish in 17th place with an 80-74=154 (+10).
Mimi Burke (Mooresville, N.C./Cannon School) finished close behind at 81-79=160 (+16). ASU newcomer Lauren Smith (Salisbury, N.C./UNC Greensboro) matched Burke's scores each day as the juniors tied for 35th place. Smith earned a redshirt in 2010-11 after transferring from UNC Greensboro.
Freshman Elena Thomas (Waxahachie, Texas/Waxahachie) rounded out ASU's team score with an 82-79=161 (+17) to place 38th in her collegiate debut.
Competing as individuals, Samantha Patton (Morganton, N.C./Mars Hill) placed 44th with an 81-85=166 (+22), Brittany Zachrich (Hickory, N.C./Montreat) carded an 81-86=167 (+23) for 45th place and Samantha Bonham (Greensboro, N.C./UNC Pembroke) placed 51st at 87-88=175 (+31).
Newberry College claimed the team title with a 299-303=602 (+26), two strokes ahead of Elon and Wofford.
Also competing from the Southern Conference, The Citadel finished ninth at 330-330=660 (+84).
The Mountaineers return to competition on Sept. 19-20 at the Great Smokies Intercollegiate in Waynesville, N.C.
Phoenix Finishes in Second-Place Tie at Terrier Intercollegiate
SPARTANBURG, S.C. -- Three Elon women's golfers finished in the top eight individually to help the Phoenix to a second-place tie at the Terrier Intercollegiate on Tuesday. The Phoenix shot a 295-309--604 in its first event of the season, falling by two strokes to Newberry.
Of the 54 golfers in the field, Elon's Katie Partridge finished in a tie for fifth. Partridge followed up yesterday's round of 74 with a mark of 75 to finish with a 36-hole mark of 149, four strokes off the individual lead. Playing in the first collegiate event of her career, Partridge recorded 23 pars.
In a tie for eighth were both Virginia Mayer and Shannon Prunty. Mayer went 74-77 for her score of 151 while Prunty shot a 73-78 to get to 151. Mayer had 24 par holes as well as one eagle. She went three-under on the par five holes. Prunty notched 23 pars.
Another newcomer to the Elon lineup, Kristi Ingram, placed in a tie for 14th with a score of 153 (74-79).
Rounding out Elon's five scoring options was Martyna Mierzwa. Mierzwa carded an 83 on the final day for a two-round mark of 157. She finished in a tie for 25th. Mierzwa was tied for second in the field with six birdies over her two rounds.
Three members of the team competed as individuals. Lauren Lebak shot a 155 (75-80) to place 21st while Diana Davis (78-79--257) tied for 25th and Meghan Green (78-80--158) tied for 29th.
The individual title was shared by Appalachian State's Yue Xu and Wofford's Tarah Taylor who both went 72-73--145.
Newberry posted a final score of 602 (299-303) to best both Elon and Wofford (302-302--604) for the team title. Gardner-Webb (309-305--614) was fourth while Presbyterian (305-310--615) placed fifth. The rest of the nine-team field consisted of High Point (306-311--617), Appalachian State (314-305--619), USC Upstate (323-325--648) and The Citadel (330-330--660).
Elon will take a few weeks off before returning to competition at the UNCG Starmount Classic in Greensboro, N.C. on Oct. 2-4.
SAMFORD WOMEN'S GOLF RALLIES FOR FOURTH-PLACE FINISH AT CIRCLING RAVEN INTERCOLLEGIATE
--- The Bulldogs turn in their second straight top-5 finish of the 2011 fall season ---
WORLEY, Idaho --- The Samford University women's golf team continued its stellar play in the young 2011-12 campaign Tuesday as the Bulldogs charged to a fourth-place finish at the Circling Raven Collegiate Invitational being hosted by Gonzaga University at the Circling Raven Golf Course.
Samford entered the final round play in seventh place Tuesday, but carded a team-best score of 303 to notch a fourth-place finish in the highly-competitive, 22-team tournament. The Bulldogs concluded the 54-hole event with a total team score of 923 (316-304-303). Samford's mark of 303 tied the best round of the day Tuesday along with host school Gonzaga.
The Bulldogs nearly jumped all the way to second place behind tournament-champion Washington State (307-298-308=913). Samford finished just one stroke behind runner-up squads San Francisco and Portland State which both registered final team scores of 922 on Tuesday.
Following Samford and Gonzaga, Portland State turned in the third best mark of the day with final-round score of 305.
Individually, the Bulldogs were led this week by senior Sarah Butts. Butts, Samford's talented native of Carrollton, Ga., tallied a 10th-place finish and carded a final 54-hole score of 229 (82-73-74).
Following Butts for the Bulldogs were sophomores Alex Jasper and Natalie Mitchell. Jasper, Samford's native of Clarksville, Tenn., carded a three-round mark of 232 (80-75-77), while Mitchell also turned in an impressive 54-hole tally of 233 (76-78-79).
Kayla Turner, the Bulldogs' junior native of Clarksville, Tenn., finished the Circling Raven Collegiate Invitational with a score of 236 (78-78-80), while Anna Heim tallied a three-round total of 243 (82-88-73). In Tuesday's final 18 holes of play, Samford's Heim carded the team's best mark of the day with a 1-over-par 73.
The Samford University women's golf team will next be in action Oct. 7-9 as the Bulldogs head to Daytona Beach, Fla., for the Xavier Invitational to be held at the world-renown LPGA International Golf Course.
Cnops matches school record as UNCG concludes play at Cougar Classic
CHARLESTON, S.C.-UNCG freshman Fanny Cnops fired a final round 72 and tied the school record for best 54-hole score with a 216 as the Spartans concluded play at the College of Charleston Cougar Classic, Tuesday at Yeamans Hall Club.
As a squad, the Spartans enjoyed a strong afternoon in the 22-team event, shooting a team tournament best 298 to finish 19th overall at 915 (305-312-298). Nine teams which ranked in the Golfstat.com final 2011 Top 25 participated in the tournament, with LSU (848) taking home the championship.
"I was really pleased with our play during the final round," said head coach Emily Marron. "Considering how poorly we played on Monday, Tuesday was a nice way to finish. We came in ahead of Wisconsin, which is a Top 50 program, and we should have some good momentum for the rest of the fall."
Playing in her first collegiate tournament Cnops, the 2011 German Ladies Amateur champion, finished in a two-way tie for 20th by shooting even par over three rounds. After opening with a 75 on Sunday, Cnops carded a 3-under par 69 on Monday. Her even par score during Tuesday's final round helped her match the school record set by current Spartan junior Courtney Taylor at the SunTrust Gator Women's Invitational in April 2010.
"Fanny's play was pretty impressive considering it was her first tournament," said Marron. "This was one of the strongest fields we'll see all year and she fit right in. I noticed over three rounds that she seems to perform at her best when she's being tested. She's very competitive, and her play on Monday impacted the team and helped everyone play well today."
Cnops enjoyed an interesting start to her final round. Teeing off on No. 13 she bogeyed the first two holes but rebounded with a double-eagle on the par-5 15th. She couldn't maintain that momentum, however, as she bogeyed 16 and 17 to fall to 1-over for the round.
"I think the double-eagle startled her a bit," said Marron. "It took her a few holes to recover. She hit driver off the tee and a 6-iron from about 180 yards away to hole out. I heard cheering and screaming from a few holes away and I knew she had done something impressive. But to connect for one of the toughest shots in golf while playing in your first tournament... that's pretty special."
The newcomer steadied her play over the next six holes. After three straight pars, Cnops birdied No. 4 to get back to even for the day. Two more pars followed on Nos. 5 and 6, but back-to-back bogeys on seven and eight put her at plus-2 for the afternoon.
Again Cnops rebounded and recorded consecutive birdies on Nos. 9 and 10, evening her round once more. She finished her impressive play with pars on 11 and 12.
Cnops wasn't the only Spartan to enjoy a successful final round. Senior Begona Sarabia shot a 1-over par 73, matching her best round of 2010-11. Sarabia finished tournament play tied for 92nd at 235 (78-84-73).
Fellow senior Ana Lucia Martinez shot a 76 on Tuesday, leaving her tied for 89th at 234 (77-81-76).
Taylor finished 85th overall after a final round 77 left her at 231 (76-78-77) for the tournament. Freshman Berglind Bjornsdottir shot 78 on Tuesday to finish 11th.
The Spartans next participate in the Great Smokies Intercollegiate, Sept. 19-20 in Waynesville, N.C.
19 UNCG 305-312=617
T20 Fanny Cnops 75 69 72 216
85 Courtney Taylor 76 78 77 231
T89 Ana Lucia Martinez 77 81 76 234
T92 Begona Sarabia 78 84 73 235
111 Berglind Bjornsdotir 77 91 78 246
Bulldogs Finish Ninth in Fall Opener at Terrier Intercollegiate
Spartanburg, S.C. - The Citadel Golf team completed its first weekend of action in the 2011-12 fall season at the Spartanburg Country Club by placing ninth at the Terrier Intercollegiate. The Citadel finished with back-to-back rounds of 330 (330-330--660), led individually by Bree Baumgartner who shot a 159 (81-78).
Baumgartner finished in a tie for 32nd after firing a round of 79 on Tuesday, followed by teammate Devin Lowe (85-85-170), who tied for 48th. The combination of freshmen Takima Butler (87-86-173) and Kellie Anderson (99-81-180) rounded out individual team scores.
Newberry College (299-303--602) held off stiff competition from Elon (295-309--604) and Wofford (302-302--604) to win the team competition. The top individual crown was shared between Yue Xu (Appalachian State) and Wofford's Tarah Taylor, who each shot a 145.
The Bulldogs return to action on Monday, Sept. 19 when they head to Waynesville, N.C. to compete in the 13th-Annual Great Smokies Intercollegiate, hosted by Western Carolina. For more information on Bulldog Golf, go to the official website of The Citadel Athletics, www.CitadelSports.com.
Furman Finishes 13th At Season Opening Cougar Classic
Charleston, S.C. -- The Furman women's golf team posted a final round 295 on Tuesday to finish in 13th place in the season opening Cougar Classic at the par-72, 6,205-yard Yeamans Hall Club.
Junior Laura Wearn (+2) capped the 54-hole event with an even par round of 72 to finish in a tie for 26th place while teammate Liz Wendt (+6) shot two-over 74 to earn a share of 48th place. Wearn played a bogey free back nine and Wendt notched four birdies, including three on the front nine. Freshman Daffodil Sanchez (+11) fashioned her best round of the week with a two-over 74.
Seneca, S.C., native and LSU sophomore Austin Ernst (-13) shot a final round 67 to earn individual medalist honors and guide the Tigers to the team title. LSU (-16) shot 11-under 277 on Tuesday to finish five strokes ahead of second place North Carolina and eight strokes in front of third place Florida.
Furman returns to action September 19-20, at the Wild Eggs Cardinal Cup hosted by the University of Louisville.
Log onto www.FurmanPaladins.com for updates on the Furman women's golf team throughout the 2011 season.
13 Furman 301 302 295 898
T26 Laura Wearn 74 72 72 218
T48 Liz Wendt 77 71 74 222
T67 Daffodil Sanchez 75 78 74 227
T86 Laura DeMarco 75 82 75 232
107 Aubrie Street 80 81 80 241
CofC Concludes Play in Cougar Classic
HANAHAN, S.C. - The College of Charleston women's golf team completed their final round in the ninth edition of the Cougar Classic presented by Piggly Wiggly Tuesday at Yeamans Hall Club.
The Cougars finished in 16th place after shooting rounds of 293 (+5), 309 (+26) and 304 (+11) for a combined team score of 906.
Junior Kathy Boehm led the Cougars with a combined 219 (+3) and finished the tournament tied for 30th place.
Austin Ernst led LSU to a 5-shot win over defending champion North Carolina in the team competition. The Tigers finished the 54-hole tournament at 16-under-par 848. Ernst, who won last year's NCAA individual title, was a 4-shot winner over Erica Popson of Tennessee and set a new tournament record with a 67-69-67=203 (-13).
The Cougars have a couple weeks off before heading to State College, Pa., Sept. 30-Oct. 2 for the Nittany Lion Invitational.
16 College of Charleston 293 309 304 906
T30 Kathy Boehm (2) 69 74 76 219
T72 Vanessa Koechli (3) 74 80 74 228
T77 Leigh Whittaker (1) 76 74 79 229
T89 Ainhoa Nogales (4) 74 83 77 234
T103 Kathryn Miranda (5) 81 81 77 239
1 3 1 LSU 280 291 277 848 -16
3 1 2 North Carolina 285 282 286 853 -11
2 2 3 Florida 284 284 288 856 -8
T4 4 T4 North Carolina State 287 290 287 864 E
10 T5 T4 Georgia 295 286 283 864 E
7 T5 6 Vanderbilt 290 291 284 865 +1
6 T5 T7 Tennessee 289 292 286 867 +3
T4 T5 T7 Alabama 287 294 286 867 +3
8 10 T7 Duke 292 293 282 867 +3
T17 11 10 South Carolina 307 283 279 869 +5
11 9 11 Mississippi 296 287 293 876 +12
14 15 12 Miami 302 303 292 897 +33
13 13 13 Furman 301 302 295 898 +34
12 14 14 Maryland 299 305 297 901 +37
T17 17 15 Wake Forest 307 300 297 904 +40
9 12 16 College of Charleston 293 309 304 906 +42
T15 16 T17 Minnesota 305 301 305 911 +47
T19 18 T17 Penn State 308 304 299 911 +47
T15 19 19 UNCG 305 312 298 915 +51
T19 20 20 Wisconsin 308 315 293 916 +52
21 21 21 Richmond 315 321 307 943 +79
22 22 22 Charleston Southern 320 323 316 959 +95