Feb. 11, 2014
ORLANDO, Fla. – Two Wildcats registered under par rounds on the final day of the UCF Challenge to give the University of Kentucky women’s golf team a fourth place finish out of 19 teams and a three-day total of two-over par, 866. Kentucky posted a final round team score of two-under par, 286.
UK’s final team score of 866 is a season best and program best under head coach Golda Johansson Borst. The fourth place finish also marks the third top five finish in five tournaments so far this season after placing first at the “MO”Morial Invitational and fifth at the Schooner Fall Classic.
UCF won the team title at seven-under par, 857, while Iowa State (-6), Miami (E), GRU Augusta (+6) and Minnesota (+6) complete the top five. UCF’s Fanny Cnops won the individual title at eight-under par, 208.
Rounding out the rest of the team standings were East Tennessee State (+10), Tulane (+13), Texas State (+14), Wisconsin (+17), East Carolina (+18), Campbell (+18), Georgia State (+19), SMU (+20), Florida International (+25), New Mexico (+25), Kennesaw State (+27), South Florida (+30) and Western Carolina (+45).
“We had another day of solid golf and despite some early challenges all the girls fought really hard to overcome them,” Borst said. “This is an extremely competitive team, so it was great to see them face adversity and find a way to climb back up the leaderboard. We will take a lot of positives from this event and build on this for our next tournament.”
Kentucky was represented in the top 10 of the individual standings with sophomore Cylia Damerau who tied for seventh. The Cham, Switzerland, native recorded even-par rounds during the first two rounds and followed that up with a two-under par, 70, on Tuesday to give her a three-day score of two-under par, 214. Damerau’s score of 214 marks her lowest 54-hole score as a Wildcat, surpassing her previous best of 215. She posted a team-best six birdies on the final day of play.
Finishing just a stroke behind Damerau was fellow sophomore Sarah Harris with a 54-hole score of one-under par, 215. Harris, a Hermitage, Tenn., native put together back-to-back under par rounds to finish the tournament. She recorded four more birdies on the day to give her a final round score of two-under par, 70, as she just missed out on a top 10 finish and tying for 14th. Harris tied for the tournament lead with 13 birdies.
Freshman Haley Mills was the third UK player to record an even-par or better final round. Mills shot an even-par, 72, giving her a grand total of four-over par, 220 and tied for 38th. The Tyler, Texas, native played her most consistent round of the tournament, recording just one bogey to go with a birdie.
Rounding out the UK lineup were freshman Alessandra Walker and senior Liz Breed. Walker turned in a scorecard of three-over par, 75, for the second straight day and finished the tournament at five-over par, 221, to tie her for 46th. Breed shot a two-over par, 74, in the final round and six-over par, 222, for the competition. She tied for 50th.
Playing as an individual, freshman Megan Kinney finished the tournament in 101st with a score of 27-over par, 243.
UK will next compete in the Darius Rucker Intercollegiate in Hilton Head, S.C., from March 7-9. For more information on the University of Kentucky women’s golf team please visit UKathletics.com and follow on Twitter @UKWomensGolf.
Eagle Creek Golf Club
Orlando, Fla. Feb. 9-11
Par: 72 (35-37)
Yardage: 6,349 (3,060-3,289)
Final Results:
4. Kentucky: 291-289-286=866 (+2)
T7. Cylia Damerau: 72-72-70=214 (-2)
T14. Sarah Harris: 76-69-70=215 (-1)
T38. Haley Mills: 73-75-72=220 (+4)
T46. Alessandra Walker: 71-75-75=221 (+5)
T50. Liz Breed: 75-73-74=222 (+6)
*101. Megan Kinney: 79-79-85=243 (+27)
