Women's Golf Repeats as Low Country Champion

HILTON HEAD, S.C. - Appalachian State University women's golf won the Low Country Intercollegiate for the second year in a row with a 313-308=621 (+45). The Mountaineers claimed victory by two strokes over Radford at Moss Creek, the site of next month's Southern Conference Tournament.

Yue Xu (Beijing, China/HuiJia Private School) led the Appalachian charge in a tie for third place with a solid 77-75=152 (+8). The junior was followed closely by classmate Rumbidzai Masamvu (Harare, Zimbabwe/Dominican Convent) in eighth place with a 77-76=153 (+9).

Reigning SoCon Golfer of the Week Lauren Smith (Salisbury, N.C./UNCG) fired an 82-77=159 (+15) to tie for 22nd, while Mimi Burke (Mooresville, N.C./Cannon School) shot an even 80-80=160 (+16) to finish in a tie for 27th.

Brittany Zachrich (Hickory, N.C./Montreat) finished 29th with a 79-82=161 (+17).

Radford finished second in the 15-team field with a 623 (+47). From the SoCon, Elon finished fourth at 627 (+51), host Wofford placed sixth with a 641 (+65) and The Citadel carded a 675 (+99) to wrap up 15th place.

Individually, Kelly Shon of Princeton and Maria Luz Besio of Newberry finished tied for first in the field of 75 golfers with 36-hole totals of 149 (+5).

ASU won the event last spring with a 314-302=616 (+40) with Xu earning the individual medal. Masamvu took home third in the 2011 event. Monday's win marks ASU's second team title of the spring after the team won the three-team Dayton/Hilton Head Invitational on March 4.

Head coach Heather Brown's squad returns home and hosts the Mimosa Hills Intercollegiate next Monday and Tuesday in Morganton, N.C.

 

Hendricks Takes Third: Dunbar Sets Tournament 18-hole Record at Low Country Intercollegiate

HILTON HEAD, S.C. - Wofford's Alex Hendricks finished tied for third with a career low 152 at the Low Country Intercollegiate as the Terriers climbed up three spots in the final round to finish in sixth place at the par-72 5,853 yard Moss Creek South Course.

Hendricks collected her best collegiate finish aided by her best 18-hole score of 74 in the opening round. She shot a 78 in the final round to finish with five other players in a tie for third.

After a 325 in the opening round, the Terriers shot a 316 to jump from ninth to sixth in the standings. App State took the top spot with a 313-308-621.

Trailing Hendricks for the Terriers was Lauren Dunbar who opened play with an 86, but responded on the second day with tournament low 71. Her 71 was also a career low, an all-time tournament 18-hole low and a second round tournament low.

Elizabeth Thompson followed with an 81-83-164, and Anne Marie Covar carded two rounds of 84 for a 168. Shelby Winters wrapped up the Terriers lineup with an 88-85-173.

Individually, Kelly Shon of Princeton and Maria Luz Besio of Newberry finished tied for first with rounds of 75-74-149, and 74-75-149 respectively.

Wofford will tee off again in the Mimosa Hills Intercollegiate in Morganton, N.C. for its next tournament of April 2 through April 3.

 

Elon Flies to Fourth in Final Low Country Intercollegiate Standings

HILTON HEAD, S.C. -- The Elon women's golf team knocked nine strokes off of its first-round score and shot the third-lowest round of the tournament on Tuesday to earn a fourth-place finish at the Low Country Intercollegiate. The Phoenix finished the 15-team event with a two-round mark of 627 (318-309).

Led by Virginia Mayer, three Elon golfers placed in the top 20 of the final standings. Mayer posted a tournament mark of 154 (79-75) to tie for 10th among the 75 participants. Both Martyna Mierzwa (85-73) and Kristi Ingram (77-81) tied for 18th with a score of 158.

Lauren Lebak was just one stroke back of Mierzwa and Ingram with a 159 (79-80) to place in a tie for 22nd. Completing the field for the Phoenix was #Diana Davis# who tied for 50th with a score of 166 (83-83).

Princeton's Kelly Shon and Newberry's Maria Luz Besio shared medalist honors with a two-round total of 149.

Appalachian State shot a 621 (313-308) to win the team title by two strokes over Radford (316-307--623). Jacksonville's 624 (314-310) placed the Dolphins third. Behind Elon in the top five was Gardner-Webb (320-319--639).

Host Wofford placed sixth with a 641 (325-316) while fellow SoCon program The Citadel finished 15th (340-335--675).

The Phoenix will be off until the 2012 Southern Conference Championships which begin on April 15 in Hilton Head, S.C.

 

Pellegrini Leads Way for Bulldogs at Low Country Intercollegiate

Hilton Head, S.C. - The Citadel Golf team shot a final round 335 on Monday afternoon on the South Course at Moss Creek Golf Club to complete the Low Country Intercollegiate in 15th place. Sophomore Erica Pellegrini (163, +19) carded a second round 81 to finish tied for 37th alongside USC Upstate's Amanda Hill.

Teammate Bree Baumgartner (166, +22) also posted a top 50 finish by firing 78 to mark the Dogs lowest score of the day.

Freshmen TaKima Butler (174, +30) and Kellie Anderson (176, +32) both shot an 88 in day two action, placing 67th and 69th, respectively.

The Bulldogs (675) improved on their first round team score, 340, by firing a combined 335, to close 56 shots back of Appalachian State (621). The Mountaineers were followed closely by Radford (623) and Jacksonville (624).

Sharing the individual crown were Kelly Shon (Princeton) and Maria Luz Besio (Newberry), who hit a respective 149 (+5).

The Citadel returns to action on April 15, at the Southern Conference Tournament, when the team heads to Hilton Head, S.C. For more information on Bulldog Golf, go to the official website of The Citadel Athletics, www.CitadelSports.com.

 

Paladins In Seventh At John Kirk/Panther Intercollegiate

Stockbridge, Ga. - Juniors Alexa Rancourt and Laura Wearn helped the Furman women's golf team to rounds of 299 and 300 as the Paladins grabbed seventh place after 36 holes on Monday in the John Kirk/Panther Intercollegiate at the par-72 Eagle's Landing Country Club.

Wearn, a Charlotte, N.C., native, carded a one-under 71 in the morning round and two-over 74 in the afternoon to hold a share of sixth place at one-over after the opening day of the two-day tournament. She notched four birdies in round one before recording three during the afternoon.

Rancourt, a product of Portland, Maine, followed an opening round 76 with an even-par 72. She improved from 26th place in the morning to 17th place with four birdies over her second 18 holes.

The Paladins (+23) trail tournament leader East Tennessee State (+9) by 14 strokes entering final round play on Tuesday morning. The Bucs hold a three-stroke lead over second place Maryland (+12) and seven-stroke advantage over Campbell (+16) and Mississippi State (+16) who are tied for third place in the 11-team field.

Sian Evans (-5) of ETSU used a second round 67 to open up a one-stroke lead on teammate Gabriella Wahl (-4). Six other golfers, including Wearn, are within six strokes of the lead after 36 holes.

The Paladins begin final round play at 8:40 a.m. on Tuesday. Full results are available at www.golfstatresults.com.

Furman Results
7 Furman 299 300 599
T6 Laura Wearn 71 74 145
T17 Alexa Rancourt 76 72 148
T25 Liz Wendt 75 77 152
T48 Daffodil Sanchez 77 83 160
T48 Inga Gunnarsdottir 83 77 160

*T35 Mackenzie Puryear 79 76 155
*57th Laura DeMarco 84 85 169

* - playing as individual

 

Catamount Women's Golf Fifth after 36 Holes at Panther Intercollegiate
Blaire Minter leads WCU in a two-way tie for third place

Stockbridge, Ga. - Senior Blaire Minter carded rounds of three-under, 69, and even-par 72 on Monday to lead Western Carolina to fifth-place after 36 holes at the John Kirk Panther Intercollegiate, hosted by Georgia State at the par-72, 6,047-yard Eagle's Landing Country Club. WCU shot the lowest round of its spring semester with a nine-over, 297, following it with a round of 300 to post a 597, 12-strokes off the tournament lead.

Paired with golfers from Mississippi State and Jacksonville State, Western Carolina's scoring five will tee off beginning at 9:30 am on Tuesday morning with the round officially getting underway at 8:30 am. Live scoring of the round is available online at GolfStatResults.com.

Minter fired her career-low round of 69 on the opening 18 holes on Monday to lead the Catamounts and stand tied atop the individual leader board. The Marietta, Ga., native carded five birdies during her opening round including three-straight to close her first nine holes to make the turn at three-under. Minter scored bogey on the par-4 second hole, but rallied to birdie the next hole and finished with six-straight pars to close her first round at 69.

In the second round, Minter countered three bogies with a trio of birdies to shoot even. She was as low as two-under through 12 holes, but bogies on the par-3 fourth and par-4 seventh left her even on the day.

Freshman Sofie Kvarnstrom shot rounds of 75 and 76 to stand amidst a three-way tie for 22nd after the first day for the Catamounts. Kvarnstrom erased one of two double-bogies with a pair of birdies on the front nine during her first round, shooting four-over on her second 18 holes with four birdies against three double bogies and two bogies.

Rounding out WCU's side were freshman Maria Kjelldorff in a tie for 35th at 155 followed by senior Rachel Nelson and junior Michelle Bello in a tie for 38th, one-stroke in arrears. Kjelldorff had one tough hole during her second round, shooting four-over on the par-5 sixth hole to relegate her to five-over (77) for the round.

Bello carded an Eagle on the par-5 18th to make her way to the front nine at two-under par, but posted five bogies over her final 11 holes to shoot three-over, 75, on her opening 18 holes. Nelson carded 21 par scores over her 36-hole day, posting two birdies and 13 bogey-or-worse scores. She was able to trim six strokes off her opening round 81 to shoot 75 in the second round.

Playing as individuals, freshman Katy Kile is tied for 35th overall after rounds of 80 and 75 to shoot 155, while senior Christina Amoriello posted just one round, shooting 86 on the second 18 holes. Kile added three birdies to her second round to take five strokes off the second 18 holes.

East Tennessee State leads the 11-team field with a two-round score of 585, three strokes ahead of second-place Maryland at 588. Mississippi State and Campbell are tied for third at 592, just ahead of the Catamounts in fifth at 597.

ETSU teammates Sian Evans and Gabriella Wahl occupy the top two spots in the individual leader board, shooting 139 and 140, respectively. Minter stands tied with Mississippi State's Ally McDonald for third with the two paired together in Tuesday's final round.