Chattanooga, Duvernay win Lady Paladin Invitational

GREENVILLE, S.C. – Marion Duvernay grabbed medalist honors leading the Chattanooga Mocs women’s golf team to the Lady Paladin Invitational title. Duvernay won her first collegiate event as three Mocs finished in the top five.

Duvernay tied her career-best 54-hole total of 219 (+3) for the event. She closed with a 75 after carding 74 and 70 in the opening rounds. It was a two-shot win over teammate Jordan Britt and Nova Southeastern’s Daniela Ortiz. Britt’s 221 (+5) is a career-low total with rounds of 76, 74 and 71.

Emily McLennan ended up a stroke behind Britt, tying for fourth. She shot 76, 73 and 73 for a 222 (+6), knotted with Appalachian State’s Rumbidzai Masamvu.

That trio was joined by sophomore Porsche Campbell in carding the low round of the fall Sunday. That group fired a 6-over par 294 to shoot past host Furman for the top spot. Campbell’s 3-over par 75 rounded out the team score.

She ended up tied for 23rd overall with a total of 234. Mette Kryger had the drop score Sunday with a 79. Her final tally was 253.

Freshman Isabella Loza played as an individual and turned in solid rounds of 77, 77 and 76. Her total of 230 tied for 15^th, which either beat or tied for low honors on seven teams in the field.

The Mocs completed their fall slate Sunday. Next up is the Central District Invitational, Feb. 18-19, in Parrish, Fla.

Furman finishes second at Lady Paladin Invitational

GREENVILLE, S.C. – Chattanooga’s Marion Duvernay (+3) finished at 3-over 219 to capture individual medalist honors and lead the Lady Mocs to the team title on Sunday in the 41st Lady Paladin Invitational at the par-72, 6,266-yard Furman University Golf Course.

The Lady Mocs (+32), trailing the host Paladins by one stroke entering the final round, shot a tournament-low 294 to overtake Furman (+37) over the final nine holes.  Jordan Britt (+5) fired a 1-under 71 to share second place just two strokes behind Duvernay, while Emily McLennan (+6) fashioned a 1-over 73 and Porsche Campbell (+18) added a final-round 75 for the Lady Mocs.

Furman finished in second place, just five strokes off of the pace, with a 12-over 300 on Sunday.  Freshman Stephanie Carlozzi (+9) used a final-round 74 to earn a share of eighth place, while senior Laura Wearn (+10) shot the low round of the day, a 2-under 70, to climb into a tie for 10th place.

Nova Southeastern (+44), Samford (+47) and Mercer (+56) rounded out the top five finishers in the 14-team field.  The Sharks’ Daniela Ortiz, who shot 75 on Sunday, earned a share of second place with Britt at 5-over.

Samford finishes fourth at Lady Paladin Invitational

GREENVILLE, S.C. – The Samford University women’s golf team turned in its best score of the 41st Lady Paladin Invitational on Sunday as the Bulldogs posted a final-round mark of 298 to finish in fourth place out of 14 teams at the par-72, 6,266-yard Furman University Golf Course.

Samford completed the three-day competition with a final team score of 911 (307-306-298). The Bulldogs were paced in the tournament by junior Natalie Mitchell and sophomore Emily Stallings. Mitchell placed sixth in the individual standings with a 54-hole score of 223 (77-72-74), while Stallings earned a seventh-place finish with an overall score of 224 (76-75-73).

The Bulldogs’ Anna Heim and Bailey Gray posted identical three-round marks of 234. Heim and Gray finished tied for 23rd place out of 79 competitors, while Samford’s Alex Jasper rounded out the team’s scoring with a solid 54-hole score of 237 (76-82-79).

Samford was joined in this weekend’s talent-laden field by No. 92-ranked Furman, Appalachian State, No. 86 Chattanooga, Columbia, Jacksonville, No. 75 Longwood, Mercer, Newberry, North Florida, 2009 Lady Paladin Invitational champion and NCAA Division II top-ranked Nova Southeastern, Rutgers, Savannah College of Art and Design and William & Mary.

Chattanooga’s Marion Duvernay finished at 3-over-par 219 on Sunday to capture Individual medalist honors and lead the Lady Mocs to the team title.

The Lady Mocs (+32), trailing the host Paladins by one stroke entering the final round, shot a tournament-low 294 to overtake Furman (+37) over the final nine holes

The Lady Paladin Invitational began in 1972 with Furman claiming the inaugural title and Lady Paladin Beth Solomon taking individual medalist honors.  Over the years, many of the most recognizable names in women’s golf have won the tournament, including Betsy King, Nancy Lopez, Sherri Turner, Donna Andrews and Dottie Pepper.

Sunday’s competition marked Samford’s final event of the fall tournament. The Bulldogs will next be in action March 2-4 as they begin their spring schedule at the College of Charleston Invitational to be held at the Kiawah Island Golf Course in Kiawah Island, S.C.

Appalachian State finishes sixth at Lady Paladin Invitational

GREENVILLE, S.C. – Appalachian State’s women's golf team concluded the final round of the Lady Paladin Invite with a score of 317, keeping the Mountaineers in sixth place in the final standings Sunday afternoon at the Furman University Golf Course.

Two Southern Conference opponents stuck out on the leaderboard, as Chattanooga (896, +32) captured the title after being in third place before the second round. Tournament host Furman (901, +37) followed in second place.

Leading Appalachian State throughout the tournament was senior Rumbidzai Masamvu (71-75-76=222, +6) who carded a final-round 76, which placed her in a tie for fourth in the overall standings.

Following Masamvu were senior Lauren Smith (85-75-78=238) and senior Yue Xu (78-78-83=239) finishing tied for 36th and 40th respectively.

Rounding out the Mountaineer scoring was sophomore Elena Thomas (85-75-86=246) and senior Mimi Burke (87-89-80=256) as the Mountaineers finished 19 strokes behind fifth-place finisher Mercer (920, +56).

With the fall season ending, Appalachian now shifts its focus to the spring season beginning in February.

Elon eighth at Palmetto Intercollegiate

KIAWAH ISLAND, S.C. – The 17-team Palmetto Intercollegiate was suspended during the second round of the day on Sunday and will resume at 8:45 a.m. on Monday.  Following the one complete round, the Elon women's program sat eighth with a mark of 303.

The Phoenix was led by Martyna Mierzwa, who shot a 1-over 73 to sit in a tie for 15th out of the 95 participants in the field.

Just two strokes back with a 75 and in a tie for 25th is Sunna Vidisdottir.  Emily Brooks' round of 76 has her tied for 34th.

Rounding out Elon's contingent are Katie Partridge (T-56th, 79) and Kathryn Buckingham (T-89th, 83).

The team leaderboard has Campbell at the top following a first-round score of 282.  The Fighting Camels lead a top five that also includes Coastal Carolina (292), East Tennessee State (296), Michigan (296) and Maryland (298).

The Phoenix was the top-rated SoCon team in the field after the first round.  Fellow league members in the tournament are host College of Charleston (T-12th, 309) and The Citadel (17th, 326).

Campbell's Teresa Urquizu shot a 67 during her first round to hold the individual lead.

Round two will conclude on Monday morning and will be followed by the third and final round of the tournament at the Oak Point Golf Club.

College of Charleston 10^th at Palmetto Intercollegiate

KIAWAH ISLAND, S.C. – The College of Charleston women's golf team completed the first two rounds of the Palmetto Intercollegiate Sunday, but the entire field did not, as play was called due to darkness before everyone could finish. Currently the Cougars are in 10th place with most of the field having one hole left to play.

The Cougars (+31) shot a 21-over 309 and were tied for 12th place after the first round. In round two, the team shot a 10-over 298. Campbell is the current tournament leader with a combined 1-over.

Freshman Morgan Webber carded a career-best 1-under 71 in the second round to lead the Cougars. Senior Vanessa Koechli was the Cougars’ best in the two rounds combined as she shot 73-75 and is tied for 21st place. Webber is one shot back and tied for 24th place.

Play will resume at 8:45 a.m. Monday with the second-round finish, after which the third round will begin immediately.