HPU Women’s Golf Panthers Finish Third at Big South Championships

NINETY SIX, S.C. — The High Point University women’s golf team finished in third place at the Big South Championships Saturday (April 14) at the Patriot Golf Club (Par 72 – 6,175 Yards) in Ninety Six, S.C. It is the Panthers’ second-consecutive third-place finish at the conference meet.

The Panthers concluded the tournament their best round of the weekend with a 14-over 302 and finished with a three-round score of 917. Campbell won the championship with a score of 877, followed by Winthrop (914), High Point (917), Charleston Southern (920), UNC Asheville (931), Longwood (931), Presbyterian (941), Radford (945) and Gardner-Webb (1,001).

“Another great season is in the books for this team,” HPU head coach Alexis Bennett said. “While we fell short of our goal coming into today, it was still a fun and overall successful run. There’s one or two holes each of the girls would like back from this week, but this group has a lot to be proud of and with the amount of talent we have returning, we have definitely solidified ourselves as a real force within the Big South Conference.”

Sophomore Samantha Vodry placed fourth overall and was named to the all-tournament team with a three-round score of 221 after shooting a final-round of 74. She finishes the season with 66 birdies, the second-most in a single season in program history.

Senior Cayla Smith and sophomore Tonrak Tasaso led the Panthers in the final round with 1-over 73’s. Tasaso finished the tournament in a tie for eighth at 226, while Smith was tied for 14th with 231.

Sophomore Anna-Marie Kuenzle shot 82 to finish with a score of 239 in tied for 28th place, while freshman Anna Holmberg placed 39th with a three-day score of 254.

With 10 birdies in the final round and 26 for the tournament, the Panthers finish the season with 256, a new single-season school record.

After the tournament, the Big South year-end awards were handed out. Tasaso was named to the All-Big South team, while Holmberg was recognized on the Big South All-Freshman squad. Vodry was named to the Big South All-Academic Team.