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MOBILE, Ala. – After weather conditions spelled trouble on the golf course Monday at the 11th Annual USA Women’s Invitational, play was completed Tuesday as the Troy women’s golf team opened its spring season with a third place finish.
The tournament format was scheduled to be a 54-hole event with 36 holes on Monday and the final 18 on Tuesday. However, weather conditions in the Mobile area forced a late start time which only allowed enough daylight for 18 holes to be played Monday, with the final 18 completing Tuesday.
Troy opened the tournament with a team score 314 good enough for sixth, but bounced back on Tuesday to improve by two strokes and shoot a 312 to finish the event in third.
Senior Sofia Bjorkman (78-77-155) entered the tournament as the Sun Belt’s top golfer, and took home a top-10 finish in Tuesday’s event – her fifth straight top-10 of the 2012-13 season.
The senior from Sweden entered the final 18 holes tied for 15th after opening with a six-over par, 78, but rebounded on day two to shoot a 77 and finish the tournament tied for tenth,Troy’s highest finish.
Langley Vannoy (79-78-157) improved from day one’s action to finish tied for 13th after entering the final stretch tied for 21st. Vannoy’s six-over par, 78, made way for her second finish of T13th this season (other at the ULM Fred Marx Invitational).
Sara Fennvik (80-78-158), Troy’s only other senior, also saved her best play for day two as she improved ten spots to finish the tournament tied for 15th at 158, 14-over. Fennvik began play on the sixth hole with a birdie, but carded seven bogeys through the remaining holes to finish the day at six-over, 78, and 14-over, 158, overall.
Taylor McGraw (77-81-158) was Troy’s only golfer to drop in the standings from the first 18, but dropped only by five spots to a tie for 15th. McGraw held a standing in the top-10 throughout the majority of Tuesday’s round, but late troubles sent her to nine-over on the day to finish the tournament at 14-over, 158.
Sydney Conrad (80-79-159) carded a 79, one stroke better than Monday’s performance to finish the tournament tied for 21st at 15-over, 159.
UALR’s Emelie Westrup (73-76-149) claimed the individual title after firing a 73 and 76 in the two rounds for a total of five-over, 149. ULM used a second round score of 306, a tie for the tournament best, to top the host South Alabama Jaguars by just one stroke with an overall team score of 616.
Troy will have little time to rest as they make the trip to Kiawah Island, S.C. this weekend. Practice rounds will take place Saturday as the 54-hole tournament will begin Sunday and will end Tuesday with the final 18 holes.
