MORGANTON, N.C. – Sophomore Cayla Smith and senior Tan Cheeranont put together outstanding 36-hole totals to tie for second place and lead the High Point University women’s golf team at the Mimosa Hills Intercollegiate this week at Mimosa Hills Country Club.
Smith shot a final day 71 to go under par, set a collegiate 18-hole best, and pace the Panthers with an outstanding second round. Cheeranont, who entered the day tied for third, held strong with a Monday 75 to claim a share of second place with Smith and two other golfers. The quartet (148, +4) trailed individual medalist Courtney Tolton (170, +3) by just one stroke.
Smith (8) and Cheeranont (6) both finished top-5 amongst the 82 player field in total birdies, while Cheeranont was t-3rd in par-4 scoring (+1). Smith was right behind her with a combined par-4 score of +2 and the sophomore also was t-4th in cumulative par-5 scoring (-1).
The duo led HPU to a 10th place finish at the event with a two-round score of 648 (333-315). The Panthers were much improved on day two of competition.
“Cayla had a couple of rough holes but made a lot of birdies and got up and down from everywhere on the course,” head coach Vici Pate Flesher said. “Tan made some great birdie putts and even had a chip in. It wasn’t her best ball striking day but she was solid in other parts of her game to keep her score down.”
The Panthers fielded four golfers for the tournament total and the team’s other two student-athletes showed strong improvement from round one to round two. Junior Danielle Fuss placed t-61st with a two-round score of 167 (87-80) while bettering her Sunday total by seven shots.
Freshman Sandrine Yesilian also enjoyed a seven stroke improvement and finished t-76th.
“Both Danielle and Sandrine played much better today and that will help with our confidence heading into conference week,” Pate Flesher added.
The Mimosa Hills Intercollegiate marked HPU’s final tournament before the Panthers host next week’s Big South Championship in Georgetown, S.C. Competition at the DeBordieu Club begins Monday (Apr. 11).