GREENVILLE, S.C. — The Catawba College women's golf team maintained its top-four standing in the final round of stroke play at the South Atlantic Conference Championship on Monday to claim a spot in the medal match play bracket where a champion will be crowned.
Catawba repeated its second-round score of 304 but saw more diversity in its individual scoring marks that ranged from 71 to 81. The total score of 904 (+40) goes down as the second-best of the Catawba Indians' eight 54-hole tournaments this season. No. 1 Wingate went low with a 2-over-par third round to rise into the top seed for medal match play, overtaking Lincoln Memorial for the pole position. Catawba dropped from third to fourth as No. 3 Anderson surged with a 6-over final round.
The Bulldogs' charge to the top was powered by Amely Bochaton and Olivia Meinecke who placed 1-2 with scores of 1-under and even par, respectively. Rachel Carlson claimed the final position on the podium, followed by LMU's Dilyara Bulambayeva in fourth place with Anderson's Paige Paolucci and Aly Francis tying for fifth.
RESULTS
3. Rachel Carlson (218, +2)
T-8. Mary-Paige King (224, +8)
T-12. Sara Kristinsdottir (228, +12)
T-28. Hannah Waddell (240, +24)
T-34. Taya Buxton (245, +29)
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Carlson posted her second 71 of the tournament, the field's second-lowest third round, to elevate into third place and nab her first podium of the season thanks to four birdies and 13 pars in the final 18 holes
- King improved by two positions with a third-round 75 that included three birds, logging her fifth top-10 finish of the year while marking her fourth in a row
- Kristinsdottir leveled out a handful of bogeys with three birdies to post a 5-over 77 and tie for the 12th slot
- Waddell birdied the first and 17th holes, chopping four shots off her previous round, to retain her top-half position with a share of 28th place
- Buxton rounded out the Catawba squad with an 86 in the final round to finish in 34th place
UP NEXT
The semifinal round of medal match play pits fourth seed Catawba against top seed Wingate with tee times beginning at 8 a.m. The victor will take on the LMU/Anderson winner at 1 p.m. in the championship match.
SAC All-Tournament Team
Amely Bochaton, Wingate (Medalist)
Olivia Meinecke, Wingate
Rachel Carlson, Catawba
Dilyara Bulambayeva, LMU
Aly Francis, Anderson
Paige Paolucci, Anderson
