September 24, 2024 • by Dan Davies
Ole Miss breaks records at Mary Fossum Invitational... Caitlyn Macnab takes individual title... Texas too strong at Vanderbilt’s home tournament... Houston victorious in rain-shortened Schooner Fall Classic... FSU’s Mirabel Ting wins again
Texas put on a dominant display at the Mason Rudolph Women’s Championship, Vanderbilt’s home tournament, winning by six shots over recent ANNIKA Intercollegiate winners South Carolina and by seven over Northwestern.
Texas and USC both shot 10-under-par totals in the final round but by then the Longhorns had established a decisive advantage. Their 31-under-par 833 total was the third best in school history, underlining their consistent excellence across three rounds.
Sophomores Lauren Kim (below) and Farah O’Keefe finished the tournament tied for third on -11, with Kim making birdies on her final three holes to seal the win for the team.
The Texas duo trailed behind individual medalist Avery Weed of Mississippi State, who birdied each of the final three holes. Weed, who recorded two top-10 finishes as a freshman, narrowly edged the in-form Hannah Darling, who recently won the individual title at the ANNIKA Intercollegiate, into second place.
It was the first win for Texas Head Coach Laura Ianello. ‘I’m impressed by how consistent and poised the women were this week,’ she told the Texas Longhorns website. ‘We stuck to our game plan, executed shots and were disciplined in areas when we needed to play safe.’
Ole Miss stretched out to a comfortable 15-shot win over hosts Michigan State, combining for a tournament record team score of 17 under par. Caitlyn Macnab made it a Rebels double with a one-shot win in the individual competition.
Last season, Head Coach Kory Henkes watched her team win a first regional championship in program history. At Forest Akers West, they built a commanding 11-shot lead thru 36 holes before three Ole Miss players kicked on to finish in the top six — Macnab, Nicole Gal (4) and Sophie Linder (T5). The latter recorded career best finishes in the process.
Macnab (above) fired a tournament record total of 204 (-12). The South African senior opened with a flawless nine-under-par 63, which set a new course record, a new tournament record and is the second lowest round in Ole Miss program history. It included seven birdies and an eagle and provided the platform for a fourth career individual win.
It took a record-breaking score to beat Michigan State senior Brooke Biermann, who finished one back after storming home with eight birdies in her final 14 holes. Her third round 64 was the second-lowest 18-hole score in MSU history.
University of Houston came into the Schooner Fall Classic with three consecutive finishes of fourth or better in the event. At a rain-hit Belmar Golf Club in Oklahoma, the Cougars finally got their W with a 36-hole team score of 551 (-9), securing a two-shot win over Auburn and three over Florida State. Weather meant the second round was a washout.
The Seminoles’ star sophomore Mirabel Ting (below) made it two individual wins in a row after getting to six under par at the end of 36 holes. The Malaysian, who was medalist at the recent Folds of Honor Collegiate, ended one shot clear of a trio comprising teammate Lottie Woad, Anna Davis of Auburn and Virginia Tech’s Valentine Delon.
The Cougars owed their team success to three players in particular, Natalie Saint Germain, Annika Ishiyama and Maelynn Kim, who all finished inside the top 11. It was a performance that gave Head Coach Lydia Lasprilla a second win after sweeping the board at last year’s Sam Golden Invitational in Texas.