KIAWAH ISLAND, S.C. – The High Point University women’s golf team finished in third place out of 36 teams at the Edwin Watts Classic in Kiawah Island, S.C. on Tuesday after shooting a 308 in the third and final round of the tournament. Sophomore Casey Ward was the Panthers top finisher, placing in a tie for sixth with a career-best score of 223.
“This was a total team effort this week,” head coach Vici Pate Flesher said. “Sarah had a great round today, Casey played well all week and Grier had just a real steady three rounds. I am happy that everyone was able to contribute. We really feel like we belong right up where we finished. This is the type of tournament that will help us when we head to the conference tournament because it has really boosted out confidence.”
Ward shot a 78 on Tuesday to finish in a tie for sixth with a 54-hole score of 223 (72-73-78). The sophomore finished with a team-best nine birdies over the three rounds. Joining Ward in the top 10 was freshman Sarah Bae who carded a one-under 71 for the day to tie for eighth with a three-day total of 224 (78-75-71). Bae posted one birdie and 17 pars on the round for her best score of the tournament.
Junior Greer Bennett shot a 78 in the third round and finished in a tie for 22nd with a new career-best 54-hole score of 227 (75-74-78). Sophomore Tan Cheeranont struggled in the final round, posting an 85 to finish the event in a tie for 79th with a total score of 237 (75-77-85). Freshman Danielle Fuss shot an 81 in the final round and finished in a tie for 112th with a total score of 244 (79-84-81). Senior Margaret Suchan was the fourth-best finisher competing as an individual. The senior shot an 83 on the day and finished in a tie for 90th with a three-day score of 239 (82-74-83).
Kent State took home the team championship with a combined score of 892. The Golden Flashes were the only team on Tuesday to post a score below 300. Penn State slid past HPU into the second spot with a score of 906, besting the Panthers by one stroke. Chattanooga placed fourth with a score of 908 while Jacksonville State finished fifth with a score of 910.
High Point finished ahead of three programs ranked in the top 100 in the nation by both GolfWeek and GolfStat: The College of Charleston, Chattanooga and Samford.
Kent State’s Wad Phaewchimplee (69-81-70) and Boston College’s Katia Joo (72-73-75) tied for the individual medal with matching scores of 220. The pair finished one-stroke ahead of UNC Greensboro’s Sammie Buchanan, the leader after the first two rounds.
High Point will be off next week before travelling to Pinehurst, N.C., to play in the Pinehurst Invitational beginning on March 16. The two-day tournament will be played at Pinehurst #1.