WKU Continues Improvement Trend in Final Round of UNF Collegiate

Tuesday, March 10

Jacksonville, Fla.

Western Kentucky University

Hosted by North Florida

WKU Continues Improvement Trend in Final Round of UNF Collegiate

3/10/2020 5:40:00 PM | Women's Golf

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – WKU Women's Golf continued to bounce back at the UNF Collegiate, improving from its second to third round score by three strokes and moving up three spots on the team leaderboard. The Lady Toppers finished fifth in the Sunshine State after shooting a final round 10-over 298 for a 54-hole total of 913. It marks the sixth top-five performance from the team in just seven events this season.

"I'm proud of the way the team fought back each round," said head coach Adam Gary of the steady improvement. "The wind kind of played havoc with us the first day and we dug ourselves a hole, but I'm proud of the gradual bounce back each round. We were able to move up the most spots of anyone in the final round."

The final round surge was a team effort with two Lady Toppers recording their best 18 holes of the tournament on Tuesday at the par-72, 5,926-yard Jacksonville Golf & Country Club. Senior Mary Joiner tied her best score with another 2-over 74 to notch a top-15 finish at 9-over 225 on the event. This marks her fifth top-20 finish of the season.

Freshman Sarah Arnold fired the best score of the day for the Red and White at 1-over 73. The just-over-par round earned her a t-28 finish, moving her up 20 spots from the second to final round.

Rounding out the Lady Toppers' scores on Tuesday were juniors Megan Clarke and Olivia Reed. Clarke shot a 3-over 75 while Reed carded a 4-over 76. Clarke's 54-hole performance of 10-over 226 tied her for 18th on the leaderboard. Reed finished t-61st after improving her first to second round score by 13 strokes.

Seniors Abigail Smee and Bailey Tyree completed WKU's list of competitors at the Collegiate. Smee competed as an individual and earned her first top-20 finish of the season after shooting a final-round 77. She tied for 20th with a 54-hole score of 227. Tyree played in the Lady Topper lineup and shot a final-round 82, finishing in 67th.

CSU Fullerton's Brittany Shin won the individual title at 1-over 217 while UNF took home its own trophy at 24-over 888.

"I think this will helps us carry some momentum into our home tournament next week," Gary said.

For its next event, WKU will host the Spring Break Shootout in Dade City, Fla., in just six short days.

Results – Final round
T15. Mary Joiner – 77, 74, 74 – 225
T18. Megan Clarke – 78, 73, 75 – 226
T20. Abigail Smee* – 75, 75, 77 – 227
T28. Sarah Arnold – 78, 79, 73 – 230
T61. Olivia Reed – 88, 75, 76 – 239
67. Bailey Tyree – 81, 80, 82 – 243