LAKEWOOD RANCH, Fla. - The FGCU women's golf team tied a program record with a 290 in the first of two rounds on Monday and carded an 895 (+31) over 54 holes for a fifth place finish at the 40th Annual Pat Bradley Invitational hosted by FIU at Lakewood Ranch Country Club on Monday.
FGCU finished just one stroke behind South Florida and two strokes behind FIU for third place. Southern Miss (873) and Jacksonville (886) finished 1-2 in the tournament.
In its record-tying 18 holes, FGCU equaled the 290 record set on April 11, 2016 in the ASUN Championship. Both performances came in the second round of the tournament. The 895 team score on Monday is the third best in program history in a 54-hole event behind an 887 in the 2013 ASUN Championship and an 890 in the 2010 ASUN Championship. On top of that, the Eagles recorded its best finish ever in the Pat Bradley Invitational, topping its sixth place finish in 2015 and a seventh place finish in 2012. This was the 12th consecutive season in which the Eagles have participated in the tournament.
Individually,
Ailsa Clark's second-round 69 on Monday gave her a tie for the fourth best round in program history. She is now tied with Megan Blonien (Johnie Imes Invitational on Oct. 3, 2016), Heather Hagerman (NIU Springlake Invitational on March 8, 2007) and Brittany Bertilson (NIU Springlake Invitational on March 12, 2005). Briana Carlson holds the record of 67 in the University of Cincinnati Spring Invitational on March 27, 2011.
"Today was a long round and a true test of golf," FGCU head coach
Sarah Trew said. "We got to experience both ends of the spectrum with tying the lowest round in program history and also having a disappointing finish. This team is very talented and the 290 comes as no surprise. However, I think we got a little tired and frustrated when things weren't going the same way in the final round, and we need to work on that."
In the second round,
Clark (Navarre, Fla./Navarre HS) and
Kate Williamson each had six of the team's 13 birdies. In fact, Clark birdied five of her first seven holes on the front nine, while
Williamson (Deerfield Beach, Fla./Archbishop McCarthy HS) split her six equally between the front and back nine. In the final round, Williamson had a team-high four birdies, while
Madeline Marck-Sherk had three, including back-to-back ones on the seventh and eighth holes.
Williamson led all FGCU golfers with a 223 (+7), which put her in a tie for 16th place. Clark and
Natalia Nassar (Floridablanca, Colombia/Colegio Panamericano) each finished just one stroke behind her and in a tie for 20th place.
Marck-Sherk's (Ridgeway, Ontario/Ridgeway Crystal Beach HS) 226 was good for a 26th place tie, while
Kelsy Holbert's (Lutz, Fla/Steinbrenner HS) 233 was good for a 52nd place tie.
"I am proud of Ailsa for breaking 70 in her first tournament, especially for going three-under on her last four holes to shoot 31 on the front," Trew said. "Kate also helped us out a lot by going four-under on her final six in the third round, which helped our team score.
"I am very optimistic to see that we were led by our underclassmen in this tournament. I am eager to see them grow and mature because they are all going to be great players. We have a few days before our next tournament and know what we need to work on to get back to those low numbers."
Ashley Kimbrough (Clearwater, Fla./Indian Rocks Christian School) shot a 257 as an individual for FGCU, which was good for 78th place.
The tournament's original plan was to play three 18-hole rounds Sunday through Tuesday. However, with inclement weather expected, tournament officials moved the final 36 holes to Monday.
FGCU will next play in the USF Intercollegiate next Monday and Tuesday. It will mark the conclusion of fall action for the Eagles.
FGCU Lineup
*Competed as an individual
FINAL TEAM RESULTS (GolfStat Rankings As Of 10/17)
| Pos. |
School |
1 |
2 |
3 |
Total |
To Par |
| 1 |
Southern Miss (88) |
297 |
289 |
287 |
873 |
(+9) |
| 2 |
Jacksonville (105) |
304 |
288 |
294 |
886 |
(+22) |
| 3 |
FIU (154) |
301 |
296 |
296 |
893 |
(+29) |
| 4 |
South Florida (206) |
295 |
293 |
306 |
894 |
(+30) |
| 5 |
FGCU (136) |
299 |
290 |
306 |
895 |
(+31) |
| 6 |
Western Kentucky (122) |
299 |
297 |
303 |
899 |
(+35) |
| 7 |
UMKC (202) |
303 |
298 |
299 |
900 |
(+36) |
| 8 |
Boston College (110) |
294 |
304 |
305 |
903 |
(+39) |
| 9 |
Wyoming (133) |
305 |
305 |
294 |
904 |
(+40) |
| 10 |
Texas A&M - Corpus Christi (212) |
307 |
297 |
304 |
908 |
(+44) |
| 11 |
Cincinnati (147) |
310 |
298 |
303 |
911 |
(+47) |
| 12 |
Georgia State (141) |
304 |
305 |
306 |
915 |
(+51) |
| 13 |
Morehead State (218) |
311 |
315 |
301 |
927 |
(+63) |
|
Eastern Michigan (210) |
322 |
301 |
304 |
927 |
(+63) |
| 15 |
FAU (208) |
313 |
315 |
310 |
938 |
(+74) |
IRMA RELIEF DONATIONS
In the wake of Hurricane Irma, many individuals and families throughout Southwest Florida are still in desperate need of assistance. To aid in those relief efforts, FGCU Athletics will be collecting donations at all Eagle home games for the immediate future. Donation items most needed include: non-perishable food, clothing, household items and first-aid supplies. Additionally, those unable to attend upcoming home games can drop off donations in canisters located in the Alico Arena lobby. All donations will be given to those hardest hit in Lee and Collier counties.
COACH TREW
Head coach Sarah Trew is in her 7th season at the helm of the FGCU women's golf team. Trew took over in 2011 and has since guided the Eagles to the program's best-ever finish in the ASUN Tournament and to 23 top-5 finishes. The 2013-14 squad set a new single-season scoring record with a team average of 307.88, while also setting a new benchmark academically. The spring of 2015 saw the Eagles again take third place at the ASUN Championship, and recording their best team score of the season while 2016 again set a new standard. In 2015-16, Trew earned her first ASUN Coach of the Year title after the squad recorded a new program best with a 305.29 average and took second-place at the conference tournament – the program's best finish in the event. In the second round of that tournament, the Eagles carded a team score of 290 to set a low-round program record. The 2016-17 Eagles repeated that success with another second-place finish in the ASUN Championship and for the third time since Trew took over, set a new record with a 302.30 stroke average on the season.
FOLLOW ALONG
For up-to-the minute information and a behind-the-scenes look at the FGCU women's golf program, follow on Twitter at @FGCU_WGolf and on Facebook at /FGCUWGolf.
