Women's Golf | 9/13/2021 3:25:00 PM
MONTGOMERY, Ala. Methodist's top-ranked (Golfstat.com) women's golf team scorched the Montgomery Country Club (MCC) course Monday, setting a low-round record for the program with an 8-under par 280. The record score wasn't enough, however, to overcome the 12-stroke deficit at which the Monarchs began the final round of the two-day MCC Women's Intercollegiate as Emory (Ga.) University finished atop the team leaderboard with a 6-under 570 (287-283), while Methodist finished in third at a 2-over 578 (298-280).
All five Methodist golfers finished within the top 20 on the individual leaderboard, led by senior All-American
Jillian Drinkard's tie for fifth place with a 1-under 143 (76-67).
JUST THE FACTS
Event: MCC Women's Intercollegiate, Sept. 12-13, 2021
Host: Huntingdon College
Course: Montgomery Country Club (Par 72, 5,632 yards)
Top teams: 1 – Emory (287-283—570, 6-under), 2 – Carnegie Mellon (Pa.) University (286-286—572, 4-under), 3 – Methodist (298-280—578, 2-over)
Top individuals: 1 – Sriya Mupparaju, Carnegie Mellon (70-68—138, -6), 2 – Rylee Suttor, Centre (Ky.) College (70-69—139, -5), Two players tied for third at 141 (-3)
CLOSING ROUND
- Methodist's five golfers began Monday's concluding round on various holes on the front nine in a shotgun start.
- Drinkard rebounded strongly from a challenging opening round, posting the low score in the field on Monday. Her 5-under 67 was bogey-free and included five birdies, two on the front nine and three on the back. Drinkard's Monday output vaulted the senior 18 spots up the final individual leaderboard.
- The biggest mover of the day for Methodist was freshman Emily Gresham (79-70—149, +5), who moved up 19 spots with her 2-under 70, finishing the Intercollegiate tied for 19th place. The newcomer started her round with birdies on Nos. 7 and 8, and closed her day with a birdie on her final hole, the par-4 6th. Gresham's only blemish on her card was a bogey on the 11th.
- Joining Drinkard in the top 10 was sophomore All-American Ingrid Steingrimsen (74-70—144, E), who tied for seventh place by moving up seven spots on Day 2. Steingrimsen registered five birdies in her Monday round, giving one of those strokes back on No. 9, though, and absorbing a double on the 11th.
- In a tie for 14th place was sophomore Maggie Williams (73-74—147, +3). She rolled in 14 par putts in the round and dropped in a birdie putt on No. 12. Over the front nine, however, Williams picked up three bogeys to affect what otherwise had been a rock-steady round.
- Moving up three spots on Monday was freshman Ava Lucas (75-73—148, +4) to finish tied for 16th place. Other than an errant bogey on the par-4 8th, Lucas equaled the course, knocking down 17 par putts, including over her final 15 holes.
THE NUMBERS GAME
- The Monarchs had played the par 3s better than the field on Sunday, and concluded the tournament in the same spot, finishing at a cumulative +4 with a 3.10 average score.
- They moved up the ladder on the par 4s with Monday's record round, ending the Intercollegiate with a cumulative +14 (4.14), second best in the field.
- Drinkard played the par 3s at even par across the two days (3.00), while punishing the par 5s with a cumulative 4-under (4.50).
- Steingrimsen was right at home on the par 4s (+1, 4.05), and bested the par 5s at MCC (3-under, 4.63).
- Williams was the tournament leader in total number of pars (31), followed closely by Lucas (26) and Drinkard (24). As a group, Methodist piled up 122 pars over the two days, 11 more than Carnegie Mellon.
- Steingrimsen completed her two-day card with eight birdies, fourth most in the field of 72 golfers.
- Emory entered the tournament ranked No. 7 in the preseason Golfstat.com rankings, trailing No. 1 Methodist and No. 2 Carnegie Mellon.
UP NEXT
The Monarchs will travel to Houston, Texas for the Division III National Preview on September 27-28. The Preview is played at the Bay Oaks Country Club, the site of the 2022 NCAA D-III women's national tournament.
