HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. – After posting one of the best team scores at the Darius Rucker Intercollegiate on Saturday, the Vanderbilt women’s golf squad created little momentum in the closing round Sunday, finishing 12th in the final team standings.
The Commodores finished the tournament with a 54-hole score of 906.
Playing in strong winds for a third consecutive day, the Vanderbilt contingent combined for just three birdies on Sunday. They finished the final round with a 28-over-par 312.
Sophomore Auston Kim, who entered the final round just three shots off the individual lead, topped the Commodores with a three-day total of 7-over 220. She posted a 4-over 76 on Sunday to earn a tie for 10th place in the individual race.
One day after seeing his Commodores rise four spots in the team standings, head coach Greg Allen watched his Vanderbilt student-athletes struggle from the opening tee Sunday. Unfortunately, the results did not improve as the round endured.
“Long Cove definitely got the best of us today,” Allen said. “This course requires good ball striking and we didn’t hit the ball too well today. When that happens here, you can walk away with some big numbers. Then, when frustration sat in, we didn’t handle that very well.
“I believe in this team and I know what we can do. I’m very optimistic we will get this figured out.”
The team’s top final-round scores came from its Augusta National Women’s Amateur invitees, Kim and senior Abbey Carlson. Kim earned the 11th top-20 individual result of her Vanderbilt career. She made birdies on Nos. 5 and 7 to stay close to the individual lead. She fell off the pace after not making another birdie on her closing 11 holes. Carlson made a lone birdie during a round of 4-over-par 75, earning a tie for 46th place in the individual race.
The team’s two participating juniors, Louise Yu and Morgan Baxendale, did not register a birdie on their cards. Yu shot a 79 to earn a tie for 43rd place while Baxendale claimed a tie for 65th place following an 82.
Freshman Tess Davenport posted a third-round 86, finishing the tournament in a tie for 88th place.
The Commodores are back in action March 20-22 at the Liz Murphey Collegiate Classic in Athens, Georgia.
Darius Rucker Intercollegiate
Pete Dye Course, Long Cove Club
Final Results
Team Results
12. Vanderbilt +54 302-292-312=906
Individual Results
T-10. Auston Kim +7 72-72-76=220
T-43. Louise Yu +13 72-75-79=226
T-46. Abbey Carlson +14 78-74-75=227
T-65. Morgan Baxendale +21 81-71-82=234
T-88. Tess Davenport +37 80-84-86=250
