Samford finishes sixth at USA Women’s Invitational
MOBILE, Ala. – The Samford University women’s golf team posted its best score of the tournament, a final-round 305 on Tuesday, as the Bulldogs vaulted into fifth place at the 13th Annual USA Women’s Invitational being hosted by the University of South Alabama at the par-72, 6,071-yard Azalea City Golf Club.
Additionally, Samford’s Sydney Needham registered her second consecutive top-10 finish to open the young 2015 spring tournament season. On Tuesday, the Bulldogs’ sophomore native of Carrollton, Georgia, concluded the two-day, three-round competition tied for eighth place with a 54-hole total of 231 (77-74-80).
Needham, just two weeks earlier, opened Samford’s spring season with a third-place finish at the Third Annual Lady Bulldog Invitational hosted by the University of Georgia.
This week, at the 2015 USA Invitational, the Bulldogs improved in every round of the tournament. Samford opened play with a first-round score of 323 and then a second-round mark of 312 on Monday.
The Bulldogs’ third and final-round mark of 305 helped Samford jump Louisiana-Monroe for fifth place in the tournament standings. Louisiana-Monroe carded a score of 312 on Tuesday and finished in the sixth-place position.
Memphis won the tournament with a three-round team score of 915 including two players, Michaela Fletcher (74-77-74=225) and Leighann Cabush (74-74-79=227), who finished in the top five. Stina Resen from Arkansas-Little Rock earned individual medalist honors with a 5-over-par total of 221.
Samford finished the tournament with three players in the top 15. Needham led the way tied for eighth place with a three-round total of 231, while senior Bailey Gray earned an 11th-place finish with a 54-hole mark of 232 (82-79-71). Gray’s third-round tally of 1-under-par 71 proved to be the best score of the day Tuesday by three strokes.
Fellow senior Emily Stallings also turned in her best round of the tournament Tuesday by carding a 2-over-par 74. With her solid final-round performance, Stallings finished tied for 14th place in the individual standings with a 54-hole score of 233 (83-76-74).
Samford’s scoring at the spring-opening tournament was rounded out by Katie Collom (81-85-80=246), Haley Harrington (84-83-85=252) and Haley Wagner (85-83-85=253).
The Samford University women’s golf team will next be in action March 1-3 as the Bulldogs head to Kiawah Island, South Carolina, for the 2015 Edwin Watts/Kiawah Island Classic, which will be held at both Oak Point and Cougar Point Country Clubs.
Mercer finishes 10th at Juli Inkster Spartan Invite
SAN JOSE, Calif. – Mercer sophomore Marin Hanna fired a 2-under 70 on the final day of the Juli Inkster Spartan Invite, finishing the tournament in a tie for 23rd individually. As a team, the Bears finished 10th with a three-round total of 971.
Mercer's Tuesday 313 was a 15-stroke improvement on Monday's final round. The Bears finished 32 strokes behind Nevada for ninth place, while host San Jose State took the tournament title at 897.
Hanna's 70 followed scores of 84 and 79 on Monday to put her at 233 for the event. Freshman Jaelyn Tindal took 41st place with a three-round total of 241.
Freshman Hanna Mae Deems shot 79 on Tuesday and tied for 48th at 247. Senior Sarah Louie Brown claimed 53rd at 254 and junior Meredith Owen was 54th at 265.
Mercer continues its spring at the 3M Jaguar Invitational on March 13.
Wofford finishes 12th at Amelia Island Collegiate
FERNANDINA BEACH, Fla. – Freshman Lela Oakley impressed with a second-round, even-par 72 and the Wofford women’s golf team opened the spring season with a 12th-place finish Tuesday at the JU Amelia Island Collegiate.
The Terriers played two complete rounds on Monday and were scheduled for a third round on Tuesday, but inclement weather forced officials to call the tournament with teams and players through approximately six holes of the final round. The results of Monday’s first two rounds became the final totals.
Oakley’s second round moved her several spots up the leaderboard, earning a top-25 finish. After a first-round 7-over 79, the freshman carded 16 pars, a birdie and a bogey in round two. A bogey on the par-4 fifth moved her to 1-over, but Oakley immediately recovered with a birdie at the par-3, 150-yard sixth. She wound up tied for 23rd at 7-over-par 151.
Two more underclassmen followed. Sophomore Katy Funk coupled rounds of 77 and 79 to tie for 39th at 12-over-par 156. Freshman Nicole Chin struggled to an opening-round 81 but was three strokes better in round two to finish tied for 56th at 15-over-par 159.
Senior Lauren Dunbar took 58th at 16-over 160, followed by junior Emiley Pagrabs at 17-over 161.
Fifteen teams and 81 individuals competed in the event.
The Wofford women’s golf team has a week off before its next tournament, when the Terriers head back to the state of Florida for the Seminole State Invitational, March 10-11, in Orlando.