Wofford finishes sixth at JU Classic
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – Wofford women’s golf senior Maegan Higgins shot a final-round 2-over-par 74 on her way to an 11th-place finish on Tuesday at the Jacksonville University Classic, hosted by Jacksonville University at Marsh Landing Country Club.
Higgins carded 16 pars and just two bogeys on Tuesday, wrapping up the tournament with a career-low 54-hole total of 3-over-par 219. In Monday’s first two rounds, the senior from Piedmont, S.C., posted a 1-over 73 and career-best even-par 72. Her 11th-place finish led all Terriers in the 78-player field.
Wofford took sixth place with a tournament total of 31-over-par 895. It marks the second-lowest 54-hole scoring total in program history – the record is 884 set in the fall of 2012 at the South Carolina State Bulldog Invitational.
Sophomore Nicole Chin finished in the top 30 individually. Chin sank one birdie on Tuesday at the par-5, 495-yard eighth on her way to a 4-over 76. She finished the tournament with a 9-over-par 225 in a tie for 28th.
Sophomore Lela Oakley (+11) finished 36th, while junior Katy Funk (+12) and senior Emiley Pagrabs (+12) tied for 41st.
The Terriers take a week off before competing in their next tournament, the Loyola Whistling Straits Intercollegiate, Oct. 12-13, at Blackwolf Run Golf Course in Kohler, Wisconsin.
Western Carolina finishes seventh at JU Classic
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – Both coming home tied for 22nd overall, Western Carolina women’s golf seniors Kim Mitchell and Mariah Hopkins paced the Catamounts to a seventh-place finish on Tuesday in the final round of the Jacksonville University Classic, held at the par-72, 5,967-yard Marsh Landing Country Club.
WCU recorded the biggest gain over the final round, jumping two spots in the final 18 holes with a score of 896.
Mitchell fired a final-round 3-over-par 75, while Hopkins finished with a 4-over-par 76 over the final 18 holes Tuesday to post identical three-round scores of 223. The Catamount duo comprised half of a four-way tie for 22nd in the individual standings.
Catamount freshmen Maddi Caldwell and Natalia Villavicencio were among some of the biggest movers over the final 18 holes. Caldwell advanced 14 positions on the strength of the best round of her career at 2-over-par 74 for a two-day score of 225, while Villavicencio climbed 11 spots by matching her tournament and career-best round, 3-over-par 75, as a part of her 227.
Junior Bethany Galloway rounded out the Catamount scoring five, gaining one spot on the final day with a 5-over-par 77.
Playing unattached as an individual, junior Ashley Thompson fired a final-round 82 to finish 69th overall with a 54-hole score of 246.
The tournament leader after 36 holes, Florida State cruised to the team championship by 24 strokes over second-place Rollins College, 853-877. FSU put four golfers inside the individual top 10, including both the medalist and runner-up. Matilda Castren won the tournament title, edging her teammate, Kim Metraux, by a stroke, 212-213, ahead of a three-way tie for third overall.
Western Carolina returns to action Oct. 12-13, remaining in-state for the Pinehurst Challenge hosted by the College of Charleston. The 54-hole tournament will be spread over two days at the Pinehurst Resort No. 1.
Samford finishes sixth at Banister Classic
GLENCOE, Ala. – The Samford women's golf team carded the second-lowest score on the final day of the 2015 Chris Banister Golf Classic, hosted by Jacksonville State University at Silver Lakes Golf Course, Sunday through Tuesday.
In Tuesday's final round, Samford turned in a team score of 304, second only to Southern Mississippi's 300, to finish sixth in the three-day tournament. The Bulldogs finished with a final score of 934 (317-313-304). Troy won the tournament with a three-round total of 921 (314-300-307).
Individually for Samford, the freshmen continued to lead the way. Anna Buchanan led the team for the second straight tournament, carding a tournament total score of 225 (76-75-74), tying four fourth overall.
Freshman Emily Uhland tied for ninth with a three-round score of 231 (76-78-77). Another freshman, Crockett Floyd, played as an individual, not counting toward Samford's team score, and tied with Uhland for ninth at 231 (78-78-75).
Sophomore Haley Wagner tied for 36th overall with a tournament total score of 240 (81-83-76). Fellow sophomore Kate Collom tied for 40th at 241 (84-80-77). Junior Haley Harrington, playing as an individual, tied for 44th, carding a score of 243 (83-79-81). Sophomore Madeline Davis finished in a tie for 51st with a score of 246 (85-80-81).
Fatimo Cano of Troy won individual medalist honors, firing a score of 217 (75-72-70). Moa Folke of Murray State came in second, carding a three-round total of 218 (73-72-73).
Samford will return to action, Oct. 5-6, when the Bulldogs travel to Charleston, S.C., to take part in the Charleston Southern Wendy's Classic.
Mercer finishes 13th at Johnie Imes Invite
COLUMBIA, Mo. – The Mercer University women’s golf team recorded its top round of the 2015 season, carding a 4-over-par 292 on the final day of the Johnie Imes Invitational at The Club at Old Hawthorne on Tuesday.
For the first time this season, Mercer had three individuals record scores of par or better in the same round. Mary Augusta Janiga and Payton Schanen continued their impressive performances this week with a pair of 1-under 71 scores while Marin Hanna had her best score of the event with an even-par 72. Janiga finished at least one shot under par in all three rounds en route to a 5-under total of 211 and a top-five finish. Schanen closed the tournament with three-round tally of 217 (1-over) while Hanna moved up 11 spots with her strong finish.
Mercer’s top score of the year helped the team move up two spots on the team leaderboard and into 13th place with a three-round total of 898. Host Missouri claimed the team title with a 39-under 825, while Middle Tennessee finished second.
Janiga lowered her Southern Conference-leading stroke average to 71.33 with her second straight top-10 finish. The freshman had four birdies in the final round to push her team-high tally to 12 for the tournament.
Schanen wrapped up her best collegiate tournament, finishing just 1-over-par for the week en route to her second top-20 placing of the year.
The Citadel finishes fourth at Sand Shark Shootout
BLUFFTON, S.C. – The Citadel women’s golf team finished in fourth place at the Sand Shark Shootout on Tuesday afternoon. The tournament, which was held at Hampton Hall Country Club, consisted of two rounds of 18 holes.
Eraina Manor recorded a 72 in the second round, breaking her previous career best of 75, which she set last season. Her plus-7 for the tournament allowed her to finish tied for 13th place.
Manor was followed by Marina Grimal and Cameron Little, who both finished tied for 16th. Grimal recorded a 76 in the second round of the tournament and finished 8-over par in only her second collegiate outing.
Renata Sucha and Laura Simpson both improved on their scores from round one, after Sucha fired a 77 and Simpson carded a 97.
The Citadel will have a short break before hitting the course again as it travels to Greensboro, N.C., for UNCG’s Forest Oaks Fall Classic. The tournament runs Friday through Sunday and results will be available at CitadelSports.com at the completion of each round.