Site: Johns Creek, Ga.
Course: Rivermont Golf Club (Par 72, 6,075 yards)
Tournament: Georgia State Invitational
HPU Team Standing: 9th of 16 teams (308-297-302-907, +43)
Top HPU Individual: Samantha Vodry, 1st (72-68-71-211, -5)
Next HPU Round: Saturday, April 3 — at ECU Easter Invitational (Greenville, N.C.)
JOHNS CREEK, Ga. – Samantha Vodry fired a one-under 71 in the final round of the Georgia State Invitational on Tuesday (March 30) to take home medalist honors in the event.
It’s the third time she’s won an event in her career, tying her with Sarah Bae and Kate O’Sullivan for the most wins in program history. She ended the tournament at five-under, one stroke ahead of Georgia State’s Mahina Leveau and Kennesaw State’s Tai Anudit – who was ranked 40th by Golfstat entering the tournament.
Vodry was the only Panther in the top-30 as HPU slid two spots as a team to ninth place at +43. Sarah Kahn had High Point’s second-best round of Tuesday with a 74 to finish in a tie for 33rd. Behind Kahn was Danielle Suh in a share of 52nd at +18, followed by Vynie Chen tied for 74th at +26 and Olivia John in 85th at +31. Ashley Chalmers was competing as an individual and finished in a tie for 80th at +29.
“It was a total mixed bag this week, but overall we are headed in the right direction as we approach the postseason,” head coach Alexis Bennett said after the event. “It was great to see our freshmen hitting some quality shots and getting the experience they need to continue to contribute. However, I’m really disappointed with our finish and the unforced errors we made on the back nine. We threw away a handful of shots that would have given us some quality head-to-head wins.”
Vodry picked up three birdies in the final round, putting her career total at 298 – just two away from becoming the first golfer in program history to record 300. She picked up two of them on the back to go along with one bogey to be the only member of the Purple and White in red numbers on the back. She ended the event with 12 birdies, tied for the most in the tournament. Her 71 on Tuesday was tied for the third-best round of day two and was one of just 10 rounds under par in the final 18 holes.
“Samantha’s performance was certainly a gutsy one,” Bennett continued on the graduate student. “She’s a player that gives her full attention to every single shot and that paid off big for her this week. She’s grown into an extremely mature, high-IQ golfer that has the ability to grind out a good number even when the putts aren’t not necessarily dropping.”
Kahn had a strong start to her round, picking up all four of her team-high four birdies in her first 10 holes. Things regressed after that, finishing her round with three bogeys and a triple on the way to an event-best 74 for her. Suh was three shots behind her with two birdies on the day to go along with five bogeys and a double. Chen only picked up a birdie on her first hole on the way to an 80 while John struggled to gain momentum and failed to find red numbers on the day.
It’s a quick turnaround for HPU as the Purple and White are right back in action this Saturday (April 3) at the ECU Easter Invitational in Greenville, N.C.