Purdue pulls away to claim title in 3M Augusta Invitational

    Purdue, No. 23 in the latest Golfstat rankings, capped a productive week by capturing the team title at the 3M Augusta Invitational Sunday with a final round of 6-over 294 at Forest Hills Golf Club in Augusta, Ga.

   Coming off a solid showing at the Gifford Great 8 Collegiate Match Play Championship last week in Los Angeles where the Boilermakers got match-play experience against the likes of Southern California, Ohio State and Colorado, Purdue headed for Augusta, where it wrapped up the team title Sunday with a 14-over 878 total.

   No. 33 Tennessee came into the final round tied with Purdue, but the Volunteers posted a 298 in the final round to finish four shots back of the Boilermakers in second at 18-over 882. Host Augusta, ranked 45^th, had the best round Sunday, a 2-over 290, to finish third at 21-over 885.

   No. 73 Memphis had a final-round 300 to finish fourth at 24-over 888 and No. 100 Troy carded a final-round 297 to take fifth at 29-over 893.

   Purdue was led by reigning Big Ten champion August Kim, a senior from St. Augustine, Fla. who finished third in the individual standings at 2-under 214. Kim added an even-par 72 over the 6,248-yard, par-72 Forest Hills layout in the final round to steady rounds of 72 and 71.

   The Boilermakers got another top-five finish from Covadonga SanJuan, a sophomore from Spain who matched Kim’s final-round 72 to finish in a tie for fifth at 3-over 219.

   Micaela Farah, a freshman from Peru, finished tied for 11^th at 5-over 221 after a final-round 75, Marta Martin, a junior from Spain, finished tied for 30^th at 228 with a final-round 79 and Linn Andersson, a junior from Sweden, finished tied for 40^th at 230, although her final-round 75 was big for the final team result.

   Purdue’s Ida Ayu Indira Melati Putri, a sophomore from Bali, competed as an individual and finished tied for 52^nd at 233 after a final-round 78.

   The individual title went to Augusta’s Jessica Haigwood, a senior from Roswell, Ga. Haigwood’s final round of 5-under 67 was easily the best of the day as she left the field behind with a 12-under 204 total.

   Daytona State College’s Jiwon Jeon finished alone in second at 5-under 211, seven shots back of Haigwood. Jeon had opened with a sizzling 7-under 65 before adding consecutive 73s.

   Following Purdue’s Kim was Troy’s Bianca Lohbauer, a sophomore from South Africa who finished alone in fourth at 1-under 215 after a final round of 2-under 70.

   Sharing fifth with Purdue’s SanJuan at 3-over 219 were Memphis’ Michaela Fletcher, a redshirt sophomore from South Africa, and Fatima Fernandez Cano, a senior from Spain. Fletcher matched par in the final round with a 72 and Cano posted a final-round 73.