Two of women’s college golf’s heavyweights, Georgia and
Purdue, teed it up over the weekend in the 3M Augusta Invitational at Forest
Hills Golf Club in Augusta, Ga.
The Bulldogs, No. 57 in the latest Golfstat rankings and, I suspect, on the rise, rode a fast start in
Friday’s opening round to a nine-shot victory over the Boilermakers, at No. 21
the highest-ranked team in the field, and host Augusta.
Sparking that fast start for Georgia was Jillian Hollis, a
junior from Rocky River, Ohio who is in the conversation when you talk about
the top individual players in Division I. Hollis ripped off a 6-under-par 66 in
Friday’s opening round to lead Georgia to a tournament-low 7-under 281.
The Bulldogs added a 4-over 292 in Saturday’s second round
and a 3-over 291 in Sunday's final round for an even-par 864 total. Hollis carded a
1-over 73 in the second round and finished up with a 3-under 69 to cruise to a
three-shot victory in the individual chase with an 8-under 208 total.
The Boilers were always in chase mode after opening with a
6-over 294 that left them 13 shots behind Georgia. They made up two shots with
a 2-over 290 Saturday and two more with a solid 1-over 289 in the final round for
a 9-over 873 total.
Host Augusta, ranked 75th, had the best round of
the day Sunday, a 1-under 287, to join Purdue in a tie for second at 873. No.
100 Central Arkansas was another six shots behind Purdue and Augusta in fourth
place at 15-over 879 after a final round of 3-over 291. No. 67 Memphis was 10
shots behind Central Arkansas in fifth place in the 15-team field at 889 after
a final-round 297.
It was the second win of the spring for a Georgia program
that might have taken a while to rebound from a disappointing end to the season
last spring when the Bulldogs failed to advance to the NCAA Championship out of
the Athens Regional on their home course.
Not exactly sure why junior Bailey Tardy, a member of the
2016 U.S. Curtis Cup team, was not in the lineup for the 3M Augusta, but some
of Georgia’s youngsters got some beneficial experience.
Gaby Coello, a sophomore from Venezuela, finished alone in
14th at 3-over 219 after adding a pair of 74s to her opening round
of 1-under 71.
A couple of Georgia veterans, Rinko Mitsunaga, a junior from
Roswell, Ga., and Isabella Skinner, a senior from Cumming, Ga., were next for
the Bulldogs. Mitsunaga finished up with a 1-over 73 to end up in a group tied
for 15th at 4-over 220 while Skinner, who opened with a 2-under 70,
finished tied for 22nd at 223 after posting a final-round 75.
Paula Neira Garcia, a freshman from Spain, finished tied for
28th at 224 after a final-round 76, but her even-par 72 was the low
round of the day for Georgia in Saturday’s second round.
A couple of freshmen, Stephanie Carras of Midland, Mich., and
Elisa Yang of Norcross, Ga., competed as individuals and showed their
potential. Carras finished tied for 34th at 226, highlighted by a
1-over 73 in Saturday’s second round, and Yang finished in a tie for 48th
at 230 after a final-round 76.
Central Arkansas’ Fernanda Lira, a senior from Mexico,
claimed runnerup honors, three shots behind Hollis, in the individual
standings. Lira opened with a 3-under 69 and added a pair of 1-under 71s for a
5-under 211 total.
Host Augusta’s Linda Lundqvist, a sophomore from Sweden,
headed a trio of players tied for third at 4-under 212. Lundqvist finished
strong with a 3-under 69 in the final round.
Joining Lundqvist at 212 were Memphis’ Emily Goldenstein, a
senior from Chesterfield, Mo., and Virginia
Tech’s Amanda Hollandsworth, a redshirt junior from Floyd, Va.
Goldenstein was under par each day with an opening-round 70 followed by a pair
of 71s while Hollandsworth opened with a
68 and matched par in each of the final two rounds.
Central Arkansas had another high finisher as Emma Svensson,
a junior from Sweden, finished alone in sixth at 3-under 213 after a final
round of 2-under 70.
Purdue’s Micaela Farah, a sophomore from Peru, led the way
for the Boilermakers as she finished alone in seventh, a shot behind Svensson
at 2-under 214. Farah opened with a 1-under 71, added a 2-under 70 and finished
up with a 73.
The Boilermakers finished just six shots out of a berth in
match play in the NCAA Championship last spring. Four of the five players in
the lineup at Rich Harvest Farms, including Farah, were in the lineup for the
3M Augusta, a tournament in which Purdue has always seemed to find its spring
groove.
Backing up Farah at Forest Hills was Inez Wanamarta, a
freshman from Indonesia who has been a solid addition to Purdue’s veteran
lineup. Wanamarta finished up with a 1-under 71 to end up in a tie for 10th
at 1-over 217.
Marta Martin, a senior from Spain, and Ida Ayu Indira Melati
Putri, a junior from Indonesia, both finished in the group tied for 18th
at 5-over 221. After opening with a 78, Martin ripped off rounds of 72 and 71.
Melati Putri opened with a 73 and added a pair of 74s.
Covadonga SanJuan, a junior from Spain, finished tied for 74th
at 232 after a final-round 78. But SanJuan, like Farah, Martin and Melati
Putri, is a veteran of last spring’s solid postseason run. They all have a
pretty good idea of what lies ahead.
Purdue also brought along Lauren Guiao, a freshman from
Evansville, Ind., to compete as an individual. Guiao struggled a little in the
final round with a 78, but finished in a group tied for 36th at 227.
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