No. 13 South Carolina Places Sixth At Mason Rudolph Championship
Sept. 17, 2017
1. Anita Uwadia Round 1: 71 Round 2: 70 Round 3: 72 To Par: -3 Place: T22 |
2. Ainhoa Olarra Round 1: 72 Round 2: 76 Round 3: 66 To Par: -2 Place: T30 |
3. Ana Pelaez Round 1: 74 Round 2: 71 Round 3: 69 To Par: -2 Place: T30 |
4. Lois Kaye Go Round 1: 73 Round 2: 70 Round 3: 73 To Par: E Place: T35 |
5. Marion Veysseyre Round 1: 73 Round 2: 73 Round 3: 73 To Par: +3 Place: T44 |
No. 13 Women’s Golf at Mason Rudolph Championship
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — No. 13 South Carolina women’s golf placed sixth at the Mason Rudolph Championship after firing a final-round 280 (-8) Sunday at the Vanderbilt Legends Club. Senior Ainhoa Olarra (T30, -2) posted a career-best 66 (-6) in the third round for the Gamecocks, who totaled an 853 (-11) for the tournament.
Olarra, one of three Carolina golfers to shoot par or better Sunday, carded seven birdies and an eagle on the par-4 10th en route to her lowest career 18-hole mark. A strong back nine sparked her performance, as the San Sebastian, Spain, native notched an eagle on No. 10 before recording back-to-back birdies on Nos. 12 and 13. Olarra added three-straight birdies on Nos. 15, 16, and 17 and ended her day with a par on No. 18.
Gamecock sophomore Anita Uwadia (T22, -3) earned a top-25 finish after shooting a 72 (E) on day three. She was steady in the final round, racking up 14 pars to go with birdies on the par-3 fifth and par-5 18th. Uwadia’s 10 birdies for the tournament were tied with Olarra for the team lead.
Ana Pelaez, who tied for 30th at 2-under 214, also sported a solid showing on the way to a final-round 69 (-3). Birdies on Nos. 2, 8 and 9 gave her a front-nine 33 (-3), and the Malaga, Spain, native closed her weekend with a par on each of her final nine holes. Pelaez’s showing marked her second-straight round of under par.
Fellow sophomore Lois Kaye Go (T35, E) and junior Marion Veysseyre (T44, +3) both shot a 1-over 73 Sunday. Go was even through her final nine holes in a stretch highlighted by birdies on Nos. 14 and 18, while Veysseyre closed her day with eight-straight pars.
Eighth-ranked Arkansas won the Mason Rudolph Championship with a three-day total of 823 (-41), while No. 3 Alabama (2nd, -35) and No. 4 Arizona State (3rd, -25) rounded out the top three. Maria Fassi of the Razorbacks and Lauren Stephenson of the Crimson Tide share medalist honors after totaling a 200 (-16).
QUOTING COACH Kalen Anderson
“It was a great day today for our Spaniards. The team was consistent all weekend, and all five contributed. There is a lot of fight in this group. It was a solid start to the year, and it’s a good foundation to build from.”
ROUND CHANGER Ainhoa Olarra
Ainhoa Olarra caught fire after the turn Sunday, tallying five birdies and a an eagle on the par-4 10th. The Gamecock sophomore was one of 15 golfers to notch an eagle at the Mason Rudolph Championship.
NOTABLE
- By finishing three spots ahead of Clemson (9th, +3), the Gamecocks earned a point for South Carolina in the 2017-18 Palmetto Series.
- South Carolina led the 15-team field this weekend in par-3 scoring average (2.97) and total pars (186).
- Gamecock senior Ainhoa Olarra’s 66 (-6) Sunday marked the fifth-best 18-hole performance in program history.
- Carolina sophomore Anita Uwadia’s performance this weekend resulted in her second career top-25 finish. She tied for 11th at the 2016 ANNIKA Intercollegiate.
UP NEXT
South Carolina continues its fall season next month when it competes at the ANNIKA Intercollegiate in Eden Prairie, Minn. The three-day tournament takes place Oct. 1-3 at Olympic Hills Golf Club, and this season marks the Gamecocks’ fourth appearance at the event.