Eastern Kentucky Wins, WCU Second at 13th Annual Great Smokies Intercollegiate
Freshman Sofie Kvarnstrom wins individual crown in first-ever event
Waynesville, N.C. - Eastern Kentucky used a tournament-record tying final round on Tuesday to match the tournament's 36-hole scoring benchmark, overtaking first-round leading Western Carolina to claim the 13th Annual Great Smokies Intercollegiate by four strokes at the par-72, 5,932-yard Waynesville Inn, Golf Resort and Spa.
Western Carolina's Sofie Kvarnstrom took home individual medalist honors by three-strokes over the first round leader, Univ. of Louisiana-Monroe freshman Jennifer Park.
EKU's final round of four-under par, 284, matched the event's top team single-round held by Western Carolina from the first round of the 2008 event. The 36-hole score of 576 equaled the performance of the 2005 Catamounts which took home team championship honors.
With the victory for Kvarnstrom, she joins current WCU teammate Blaire Minter as Catamount women's golfers to claim individual medalist honors in their first-ever collegiate event. Minter took home top honors at her first event at the Draper Valley Intercollegiate back in the fall of 2008.
EKU (576) and WCU (580) were followed by UNC Greensboro and Gardner-Webb, both tied for third at 583 with Rollins College rounding out the top five at 586. UNCG trimmed five strokes off its opening round to advance into the top five, while the Runnin' Bulldogs were 19 shots better on Tuesday to climb from ninth to the top five, thanks in part to a tournament-best 34 birdies.
Behind Kvarnstrom and Park, Gardner-Webb junior Lauren Smith finished third after shooting 67 on Tuesday, with UNCG freshman Fanny Cnops and EKU senior Lisanne Schmidt rounding out the top five individual finishers.
Opening on the front nine from the runner-up position in the standings, Kvarnstrom recorded six birdies - including four on the front alone - with 12 par scores to match the tournament-low round of 66. The Orebro, Sweden, native is the fourth different golfer since 2002 to card a six-under for a single round, joining former Catamounts Brandy Andersen (Rd. 1, 2002) and Ashley Hovda (Rd. 2, 2005), as well as Ohio's Julie Tomlinson (Rd. 2, 2005).
Kvarnstrom's two-day total of 135 is the second-best in tournament history, just one stroke in arrears of Hovda's stellar 134 turned in back in 2005.
Minter, who led the tournament with 28 par scores, posted a sixth-place finish for the Catamounts, shooting her career-low, 36-hole score of 141 (70-71), while classmate Rachel Nelson was tied for 31st with her best showing at the Great Smokies Intercollegiate at 149. Nelson matched Kvarnstrom with 25 pars over the 36-hole tournament.
Rounding out WCU's finishers was freshman Katy Kile, who placed in a tie for 80th after rounds of 77 and 78 (155), while junior transfer Michelle Bello was tied for 111th overall with 162 over the two-day event.
Playing as individuals, freshman Maria Kjelldorff shot rounds of 78 and 76 (154) to finish tied for 75th overall with senior Christina Amoriello finishing tied for 91st. Amoriello, a native of Coral Springs, Fla., posted her career-best round of four-over 76 on Tuesday en route to her best finish and career-low, 36-hole round score of 157.
Western Carolina returns to action in two weeks as it travels to the Starmount Fall Classic, hosted by SoCon-foe UNC Greensboro at the Starmount Forest Country Club. WCU finished third at the event a season ago as the 54-hole event was reduced to two rounds due to rain.
Record-setting round helps Spartans tied for third at Great Smokies Intercollegiate
WAYNESVILLE, N.C.-UNCG women's golf team fired a school-record 289 (+1) during the final round of play at the Great Smokies Intercollegiate, helping the Spartans to third-place tie in their best tournament finish in two years, Tuesday at Waynesville Inn Golf Resort & Spa.
The Spartans finished the two-round, 23-team tournament at 583 (294-289), four strokes shy of the school record for a 36-hole tournament. Eastern Kentucky (576) won the team title, while host Western Carolina finished second (580). UNCG tied with Gardner-Webb, while Division II Rollins finished fifth (586).
Freshman Fanny Cnops led the charge once again for the Spartans, shooting 2-under par 70 on Tuesday and tying the school mark for lowest 36-hole tournament score (140). Cnops finished tied for fourth, five strokes behind individual medalist Sofie Kvarnstrom (135) of Western Carolina.
In her first two collegiate tournaments, Cnops has tied the UNCG record for lowest 54-hole (216) and 36-hole scores.
But Cnops didn't do it by herself on Tuesday, as all five Spartans shot 77 or lower.
Three Spartans finished tied for 31st in the individual standings. Senior Ana Lucia Martinez shot a career-low 71 during the final round to finish tournament play at 149 (78-71). Joining Martinez was fellow senior Begona Sarabia, who carded a 1-over par 73 en route to a tournament score of 149 (76-73). Freshman Beglind Bjornsdottir bounced back from a rough debut at the Cougar Classic last week in Charleston, S.C. She carded a 75 on Tuesday and joined Martinez and Sarabia in a tied for 31st at 149 (74-75).
Junior Courtney Taylor finished tied for 46th after a 77 left her at 151 (74-77).
The Spartans return to the course when they host the UNCG Starmount Classic, Oct. 3-4 at Starmount Forest Country Club in Greensboro.
T-3 UNCG 294-28= 583
T-4 Fanny Cnops 70-70=140
T-31 Ana Lucia Martinez 78-71=149
T-31 Begona Sarabia 76-73=149
T-31 Berglind Bjornsdotir 74-75=149
T-46 Courtney Taylor 74-77=151
Bulldogs Wrap-Up Second Tournament of Fall Season
Waynesville, N.C. - The Citadel Golf team shot a final round of 313 to finish 23rd at the 13th annual Great Smokies Intercollegiate held at the Waynesville Inn Golf Resort. The Bulldogs improved by four shots on an opening round 317 behind the second day scores of Erica Pellegrini (77), Kellie Anderson (75) and Bree Baumgartner (78).
Pellegrini was The Citadel's top finisher, tying for 46th after carding a 77 in her final round, which came on the heels of a first round 74.
Teammates Kellie Anderson (82-75-157) and Bree Baumgartner (81-78-159) finished among the top 100 players in the field. Rounding out Citadel individuals was Alanna-Jean Keith (80-83-163) and Devin Lowe (87-84-171)
Eastern Kentucky (292-284-576) edged out defending champion Western Carolina (290-290-580) for the team title, while UNC Greensboro and Gardner-Webb finished tied for third at 580.
Sofie Kvarnstrom (69-66-135) of Western Carolina claimed the individual crown by three strokes over Jennifer Park of Louisiana-Monroe.
The Bulldogs return to action on Thursday, Oct. 8 when they head to Rock Hill, S.C. to compete in the Winthrop Invitational. For more information on Bulldog Golf, go to the official website of The Citadel Athletics, www.CitadelSports.com.
Women's Golf Places 16th at Great Smokies Intercollegiate
WAYNESVILLE, N.C. - After a weather delay on Tuesday morning, Appalachian State University women's golf completed the final round of the Great Smokies Intercollegiate to place 16th at the event. The Mountaineers carded a 303-305=608 (+32).
Yue Xu (Beiking, China/HuiJia Private School) dropped from the top-10 on Tuesday but still led the Apps with a 16th place finish at 72-75=147 (+3). The score ties for the sixth-best 36-hole mark in program history, two strokes behind her tournament-winning 145 the previous week in Spartanburg, S.C.
Rumbidzai Masamvu (Harare, Zimbabwe/Dominican Convent) finished the tournament at 72-78=150 (+6) in a tie for 42nd place out of 123 golfers. Lauren Smith (Salisbury, N.C./UNCG) placed just three strokes behind in 63rd at 77-76=153 (+9).
Mimi Burke (Mooresville, N.C./Cannon School) shaved off two strokes from Monday with an 82-80=162 (+18) to finish in 111th place. freshman Elena Thomas (Waxahachie, Texas/Waxahachie) made a huge leap between rounds to finish 113th with an 87-76=163 (+19).
Eastern Kentucky jumped over Western Carolina on Tuesday to claim the team title at 576 (E), four strokes ahead of the Catamounts.
WCU freshman Sofie Kvarnstrom tied a tournament single-round record with a 66 on Tuesday to claim the medal at 135 (-9), three strokes ahead of Louisiana-Monroe's Jennifer Park.
Also competing from the Southern Conference, UNCG tied for third at 583 (+7) and The Citadel placed last in the 23-team field at 630 (+54).
ASU returns to the links on October 8 at the Winthrop Intercollegiate in Rock Hill, S.C.
Furman Women's Golf Finishes Eighth At Wild Eggs Cardinal Cup
Simpsonville, Ky. -- The Furman women's golf team shot a 17-over 305 on Tuesday to finish eighth in the Wild Eggs Cardinal Cup at the University of Louisville's Cardinal Club Golf Course in Simpsonville, Ky.
Freshman Daffodil Sanchez and sophomore newcomer Inga Gunnarsdottir each shot three-over 75 to pace the Paladins and finish 23rd and 30th, respectively. Sanchez, a native of Mesa, Ariz., birdied two of her final four holes while Gunnarsdottir, a native of Iceland, notched two birdies over her final seven holes in her second round as a Paladin. Senior Liz Wendt added a four-over 76 round to help Furman climb from 10th place to eighth over the final 18 holes.
The tournament was originally scheduled to include two rounds on Monday, but inclement weather forced Monday's action to be shortened to 18 holes and the tournament to 36 holes.
North Carolina State (+20) used a 12-over 300 on Tuesday to claim a two-stroke victory over second place East Carolina (+22) while Missouri (+29) secured a third place finish. Host Louisville (+32) and Penn State (+34) rounded out the top five in the 14-team field.
The Pirates Julia Strandberg (+1) shot a final round 70 to capture individual medalist honors ahead of Amanda Baker of North Carolina State and AnnaKarin Ljungstrom of Louisville at two-over par.
Furman returns to the course October 2-4, at the UNC Greensboro Starmount Fall Classic.
Log onto www.FurmanPaladins.com for full results and updates on the Furman women's golf team throughout the 2011-12 season.
T8 Furman 313 305 618
T23 Daffodil Sanchez 78 75 153
T30 Inga Gunnarsdottir 79 75 154
T36 Liz Wendt 79 76 155
T57 Laura DeMarco 81 79 160
T62 Laura Wearn 77 84 161
Duvernay Is Tied for 10th Heading into Final Round
Sophomore Marion Duvernay is tied for 10th at five over through 36 holes at the Golfweek Conference Challenge
WOLCOTT, Colo. --- Marion Duvernay (Publier, France) is tied for 10th after 36 holes at the Golfweek Conference Challenge pacing the Chattanooga Mocs. Duvernay is five-over par, 149, six shots behind leaders Natalie Gleadall (Ole Miss) and Grace Na (Pepperdine) at one under.
Gleadall and Na are the only two players under par after a blustery day at Red Sky Golf Club. Oregon moved into the team lead at 601 (+25). Ole Miss, Denver and Pepperdine are tied for second five strokes back at 606.
Chattanooga is 16th after today's 325. That gives the Mocs a two-day total of 630 with18 holes to play.
Maria Juliana Loza (Bucaramanga, Colombia) is tied for 50th at 158, while Jordan Britt (Chattanooga, Tenn.) is tied for 61st at 160. Mette Kryger (Nivaa, Denmark) is tied for 72nd (163), while fellow freshman Michaela Gasplmayr (Ebenfurth, Austria) is tied for 81st (168).