Chattanooga, McLennan win Fall Invitational
BRASELTON, Ga. – The Chattanooga Mocs women’s golf team opened with the lead Tuesday at the Fall Invitational at Chateau Elan Resort. Ole Miss took it for a bit, then it went back to the Mocs, and Middle Tennessee tried to interject itself, as well.
With a hole or two remaining after a shotgun start, and the Mocs and Rebels tied at 12-under, it came down to the two individual leaders, Emily McLennan and Ole Miss’ Abby Newton to decide it. The duo was tied at -11 on their final hole (No. 18).
McLennan parred, Newton bogeyed and that proved to be the difference for team and individual titles.
It’s the second collegiate win for the senior from Australia. She joins Emma de Groot (six) and former teammate Agathe Sauzon (two) as the only multiple winners in school history.
She did it in style, setting school records in scoring with 205 (-11) for a tournament and 136 (-8) for 36 holes. McLennan played par or better for 51 holes with a career-high 14 birdies against just three bogeys and fired three rounds in the 60s.
The Mocs set school records for 36- (564) and 54-hole (852) totals. The squad amassed 42 birdies and played better than 87 percent (188 of 216) of its holes at par or better.
It was an impressive effort capturing win No. 19 for the program that coach Colette Murray started from scratch in 2007-08. Senior Isabella Loza tied her career-best finish tying for fourth. Her 4-under 212 shattered her previous best (219, 2015 Chattanooga Classic). Like McLennan, she turned in three par-or-better rounds, carding 70, 70 and 72.
Sophomores Cris Perez and Megan Woods weren’t far behind. Both set new low totals, as well, with Perez tying for 18th at +1 (217), while Woods’ 2-over 218 tied for 20th.
Chattanooga bested Ole Miss by one with Middle Tennessee ending up four strokes back in third. Memphis was fourth at +6, while ETSU took fifth at +7.
The McLennan/Newton dual pulled away from the field. The Rebels’ Madisen Bentley was third at -5, with Loza and Leighann Cabush (Memphis) tied at -4.
The Mocs return to the tee next week at the Pinehurst Challenge. The event, hosted by College of Charleston, is played on Pinehurst No. 1.
ETSU finishes fifth at Fall Invitational
BRASELTON, Ga. – The ETSU women’s golf finished fifth in the Fall Invitational. Hee Ying Loy and Linda Dobele led the team with 54-hole scores of 1-under and even-par, respectively.
The Bucs placed four players in the top 30 and two players in the top 15 individually.
Freshman Loy finished tied for eighth individually. She finished the first two rounds of the tournament 2-under par, including a round of 69, her best round in her young career at ETSU.
Dobele followed her 2-under first-round score of 70 with two solid rounds to post an even-par tournament total, placing her 14th on the leaderboard.
Rachel Pollock and Vivienne Chin joined their teammates with solid tournament rounds, each finishing top-30 individually. Pollock carded a 3-over-par 75 on the final day, finishing the tournament at 6-over. Chin finished the event at 4-over after entering the final day with an even-par total after 36 holes.
The team will next compete in the Pinehurst Challenge hosted by the College of Charleston on Oct. 12-13 in Pinehurst, N.C.
Samford finishes 13th at Fall Invitational
BRASELTON, Ga. – The Samford University women’s golf team completed play in The Fall Invitational, co-hosted by Charleston Southern and Kennesaw State at Château Élan Golf Club, with the final round of the event Tuesday morning.
As a team, Samford placed 13th in the tournament. The Bulldogs turned in a tournament total score of 911 (308-298-305).
For the fourth straight tournament, Samford was led by its freshmen. Anna Buchanan led the Bulldogs, placing in a tie for 38th overall. Buchanan fired a three-round score of 225 (77-73-75).
Fellow freshmen Emily Uhland and Crockett Floyd were Samford’s second and third players, tying for 40th and 49th, respectively. Uhland shot a 226 (75-73-78), while Floyd finished with a total score of 229 (77-77-75).
Sophomore Kate Collom tied for 53rd overall, carding a three-round score of 231 (79-75-77). Another sophomore, Madeline Davis, tied for 58th place, finishing with a total score of 235 (79-78-78).
Samford will return to action on Oct. 12-13, when the Bulldogs play in the College of Charleston Intercollegiate.