Site: Columbus, Ohio
Course: The Ohio State University Golf Club – Scarlet Course (Par 72, 6,358 yards)
Tournament: NCAA Regionals
HPU Individual: Samantha Vodry, 80th (78-80-78-236, +20)
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The career of graduate student Samantha Vodry as a member of the High Point University women’s golf team came to a close on Wednesday (May 12) in the final round of the NCAA Regionals at The Ohio State University Golf Club’s Scarlet Course.
Vodry matched her opening round of the event in Wednesday’s final round with a 78 to finish in 80th place. In terms of red numbers on the card, it was Vodry’s best round of the regional as she carded two birdies on the day – including one on the final hole of her collegiate career.
Her first birdie of the round came on the fourth hole after a double on the first and a bogey on hole three. The fourth was a par-5 that goes over water, which is where her second shot ended up in yesterday’s round with a splash. This time Vodry went for the green and it paid off as she landed on the dance floor from across the water to give her a chance at eagle. The eagle putt just missed, but it left a tap-in for her second birdie of the tournament. Two more bogeys awaited her over the final five holes of the front to give her a 40 at the turn.
Vodry teed off on the 10th looking for her first par to open a nine at the regional and she made good on her last opportunity. Her drive found the fairway but her second shot landed in the bunker short and to the right. A good out left her a 10-foot downhill putt but she found the cup center-cut for the sand-save scramble. She bogeyed two of the next three holes before picking up another sand-save on the par-5 14th. Vodry was aggressive on the long holes throughout the day, not only going for it on the fourth but also on the reachable 12th and 14th holes, both of which ended with pars.
Her second shot to 14 found a greenside bunker and she was left with a second bunker shot after a tough lie prevented her from making it out on her first try. That was not the case on the second attempt as Vodry spun one out of the sand right at the hole that stopped inches away from dropping for the golden ferret and her second birdie of the day.
She had to wait four more holes but another birdie finally came, fittingly coming on the final hole of the day, tournament, and career of the program’s all-time birdie leader – 2,262 holes after her first birdie on the sixth hole of her collegiate career. She cut the corner on the dogleg-left par-4 and put her approach shot 12 feet away and sank the putt for the bird to end the day on a high note, which was followed by a big hug from head coach Alexis Bennett and then more from her family members in attendance.
Vodry ends her career in the Purple and White as High Point’s career leader in wins (four), rounds in the 60s (nine), rounds of par or better (28), eagles (10), and birdies (321). Her scoring average of 73.5 was the best of any golfer in a single season in program history and her 65 in the final round of the River Landing Classic this season is the second-lowest round the program has seen. Altogether, Vodry holds four of the nine-lowest rounds in program history and has six of the 10-lowest 54-hole events HPU has seen.