Dylan Hurst
Staff Writer
Trojan Freshman Nicole Lorup scored her second third-place finish of this season, leading Troy to an overall tie for third out of 15 teams at the Starmount Fall Classic. Lorup finished 2-over at the 54-hole event which finished on Tuesday.
“She (Lorup) is a pretty special player, probably one of the top five freshmen in the country,” said Head Coach Randy Keck. “Nicole is an amazing iron striker and hits the ball at the flag as good as I’ve seen. When you hit the ball straight and around the hole, you’re going to make a lot of birdies.”
Troy’s third place overall in this tournament was their second third place overall finish this season. The Trojans fell just three shots behind the hosting school, UNC Greensboro. The overall winners of the tournament, the University of Tennessee, finished out the contest with a massive 35-shot advantage.
“We’re learning a lot about our team right now,” Keck said. “We’re going through the phase right now where we’re trying to figure out the best lineup, who is going to compete and who is going the extra mile. We’re getting better and seeing some improvement. To finish third in a 15-team event and not feel great about how you played is exciting for the future.”
Lorup recorded four birdies in Tuesday’s round where she shot one-over-par at 73 and tied for 12th with eight over the course of the three rounds. Trojan teammates Lindsey Harrison and Sarah each recorded 10 birdies to finish fourth in the field.
Lindsey Harrison recorded her second top-20 finish of the season coming after finishing in a tie for 19thplace at 5-over after three birdies in her third round. Sarah Harrison recorded her second top-25 finish of the season after finishing in a tie for 21stplace while also shooting three third-round birdies.Troy’s two individuals, Anna Claire Little and Judith Castro,finished the tournament in ties for 48th and 62nd, respectively, while Jordan Susce tied for 70th place.
The Trojans have about three weeks until they play in their next tournament, the Palmetto Intercollegiate, on Oct. 21-23.
“We need to address some things team wise on and off the golf course,” Keck said of the extended break. “We to work on some things that will help us become more united and add some team chemistry; some good team building time.”
