MSU, McDonald Win Old Waverly Bulldog Invitational
WEST POINT, Miss. (WCBI/MSU Athletics) – Numerous school records fell Wednesday at Old Waverly Golf Club as the Mississippi State women’s golf team claimed the Old Waverly Bulldog Invitational team title by 21 strokes and Ally McDonald won top individual honors.
(HailState.com)
MSU recorded a school-record 275 in the final round to finish the three-round event with a 20-under-par 844 that bettered the previous top standard set by the 1999 squad at the Lady Seminole Invitational.
Ginger Brown-Lemm’s squad shattered the previous team best tournament record by 20 strokes to claim the program’s first tournament title since the 2004 Wildcat Fall Invitational.
“Today was an awesome day,” head coach Brown-Lemm said. “Our girls work so hard every day and this was their tournament to win. Breaking the records we did today and winning our home tournament makes this a great day for our program.”
Entering Wednesday one shot behind teammate Jessica Peng for the lead, McDonald fired seven birdies, including one on No. 18, to card a 5-under-par 67 and win the tournament by one shot with a 9-under 207 that came one shy of matching her school record set in last season’s NCAA Central Regional.
The All-American bounced back from a bogey on No. 8 to post five birdies through her final 11 holes. The victory placed her third in career victories, one behind Carri Wood for second.
Peng also made her mark on the record books, firing a 3-under 69 Wednesday to finish runner-up with an MSU freshman record 8-under-par 208. Peng posted consecutive birdies on holes five and six and 14 and 15, and she narrowly missed a birdie putt on No. 18 that would have forced a playoff with her teammate.
After struggling early in her final round, Ji Eun Baik closed the front nine with three-straight birdies and added two more on the back nine shoot a 3-under-par 69 to finish the tournament tied for fourth overall with a 3-under 213.
Senior Mary Langdon Gallagher used back-to-back birdies on 15 and 16 to shoot her best round of the tournament, a 2-under-par 70. Gallagher made a four-shot improvement Wednesday to secure a tie for eighth with an even par 216.
Junior Rica Tse rounded out the MSU lineup with a 12-place tie. She shot an even par 72 for the final round to finish the 54-hole event with a 3-over 219.
In only her second collegiate appearance, redshirt freshman Blaise Carabello notched a 2-under-par 70 in the final round to tie for 10th place. Carabello, playing as an individual in the event, used five birdies on Wednesday to secure the first Top 10 finish of her career.
Izel Pieters had a strong finish to the Old Waverly Bulldog Invitational, firing a single-round freshman record 4-under-par 68 to tie for 24th in her collegiate debut. The Mpumalanga, South Africa, native recovered from two bogies in her first four holes with five birdies over the next eight holes to finish the event with a 224.
Logan Chaney made a five-stroke improvement from Tuesday to set a new career-low round of 1-under-par 71 on Wednesday. The sophomore fired her first career eagle on hole 15 to finish in a tie for 30th with a 227. Gabi Oubre’ fired a 75 Wednesday finish in 46th with a three-round 235.
Brown-Lemm takes her squad to her alma mater, the University of Texas, Oct. 13-15 to compete in the Betsy Rawls Invitational.
Old Waverly Bulldog Invitational
Final Round – October 2, 2013
TEAM RESULTS
1. Mississippi State (281-288-275=844, -20); 2. East Carolina (289-290-286=865, +1); 3. Georgia State (293-298-285=876, +12); 4. Florida International (294-297-293=884, +20); 5. East Tennessee St. (300-294-295=889, +25); 6. South Alabama (297-305-297=899, +35); 7. Cincinnati (310-307-284=901, +37); 8. South Florida (310-308-293=911, +47); 9. Murray State (307-313-302=922, +58); 10. Memphis (313-300-314=927, +63); 11. Southern Miss (326-319-306=951, +87)
MSU INDIVIDUAL RESULTS
1. Ally McDonald 67-73-67=207, -9
2. Jessica Peng 69-70-69=208, -8
T4. Ji Eun Baik 73-71-69=213, -3
T8. Mary Langdon Gallagher 72-74-70=216, E
T12. Rica Tse 73-74-72=219, +3
T10. Blaise Carabello 74-74-70=218, +2*
T24. Izel Pieters 82-74-68=224, +8*
T30. Logan Chaney 80-76-71=227, +11
46. Gabi Oubre’ 81-79-75=235, +19*
*Competed as individuals
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