Results


MUSCLE SHOALS, Ala. – The University of South Alabama women’s golf team shot an even-par 288 in Wednesday’s final round of the Sun Belt Conference Championship at RTJ’s Fighting Joe at The Shoals, led by senior Kristen Golightly.

USA (308-294-288) captured a third-place finish with a three-round team total of 890, marking its highest finish since the 2008 SBC Championship. The Jaguars closed the gap in the final two days of the tournament, shooting just 6-over as a team in the last 36 holes, and finished eight shots back of champion Florida International and only two shots behind second-place Middle Tennessee.

“What I saw were just quality shots all around, making some putts, getting up-and-down – just everything that needs to be done to shoot low scores,” head coach TJ Jackson said. “It was just fun to watch. We played really well that first round tee-to-green, we felt we just didn’t score well. But we started making a few putts in the second round, and it gave us a little boost and momentum. They carried it into today’s round, and just kept doing the same thing. It was just a great team effort.”

Golightly (74-73-69), playing in the final round of her Jaguar career, turned in a career-low 3-under par 69 to lead South Alabama. She shot 2-under 34 on the front nine, with birdies at the par-five first and par-three fifth, and played the back nine at 1-under par 35 with a birdie on the par-four 10th and par-five 17th.

“We felt that this tournament was a chance for us to really go low. We haven’t been able to put together a full tournament where we all played exceptionally well from tee-to-green. The first round we just didn’t score that great. But we were able to get some putts to fall the last two days, and we realized we can do this. If we beat the golf course, we should beat the rest of the field.

“My mindset going out today was to just go out and beat the golf course, and enjoy it. It’s the last time you’re wearing a Jaguar uniform, and there’s a tremendous amount of pride I take of wearing the Jaguar on my shirt. It’s just a great way to cap it off. I’m more proud that we finished at 288 today than I am of my individual score and finish – that was just an added bonus to the tournament.”

The Pensacola, Fla., native played the 17th hole at 2-under par for the Championship with biridies there in each of the final two rounds. Golightly finished in third place individually, marking her best finish at the SBC Championship and her third top-three finish of the spring, with a three-round even-par total of 216, and earned All-Tournament team honors.

“It’s a fitting finish for her as a senior,” Jackson said of Golightly. “It was a round that meant a lot, and it moved her up to third place in the tournament. I have to give her a lot of credit for the fight that she put in; it was just a solid round. She got up-and-down for birdie out of the sand on 17, and a nice up-and-down on 18 for par – she just played really solid all day.”

Ashleigh Ryals (78-71-73) shot 1-over par 73 Wednesday to finish with a three-round, 6-over par total of 222, and capture an eighth-place finish at the championship. Ryals shot 2-under 34 on the front nine with birdies at the par-four second and par-three fifth, and played the back nine at 3-over 39.

Ingrid Hagen (76-75-72) tied her career low with an even-par 72, and finished tied for ninth with a three-round, 7-over par 223. Hagen shot 1-over par 37 on the front nine with a bogey at the par-four sixth, but rebounded with a 1-under 35 on the back nine that included birdies at the par-four 14th and 16th.

Caroline Beebe (80-75-74) earned a top-20 finish (T-20) with a 2-over par 74 in Wednesday’s final round. Beebe turned in a three-round, 13-over par 229. Anna Lesher (81-78-77) carded a 5-over par 77 in the final round, and finished the tournament with a three-round total of 236.

FIU’s Meghan MacLaren earned individual medalist honors with a three-round, 4-under par 212. Three Jaguars (Golightly, Ryals & Hagen) finished in the top 10, tying FIU for the most individual top-10 finishes.

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/USAJaguarSports. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).
2013 Sun Belt Conference Championship
RTJ at The Shoals, The Fighting Joe
Muscle Shoals, Ala.


Team results
1) FIorida International, 298-287-287-872 (+8);  2) Middle Tennessee, 300-291-297-888 (+24);  3) South Alabama, 308-294-288-890 (+26);  4) Troy, 301-297-304-902 (+38);  5) Louisiana-Monroe, 312-299-295-906 (+42);  6) UALR, 306-303-300-909 (+45);  7) Georgia State, 303-311-299-913 (+49);  8) North Texas, 308-311-306-925 (+61);  9) Arkansas State, 316-309-302-927 (+63);  10) Western Kentucky, 311-316-320-947 (+83);  11) Florida Atlantic, 321-318-319-958 (+94)

Individual results
1) Meghan MacLaren, FIU, 71-68-73-212 (-4);  2) Olivia Love, MTSU, 72-70-72-214 (-2);  3) Kristen Golightly, USA, 74-73-69-216 (E);  4) Sophie Godley, FIU, 78-69-71-218 (+2);  5) Tania Tare, FIU, 73-77-69-219 (+3);  T6) Alison Knowles, ULM, 73-74-74-221;  T6) Abigail Laker, ASU, 75-77-69-221;  8) Ashleigh Ryals, USA, 78-71-73-222 (+6);  T9) Ingrid Hagen, USA, 76-75-72-223 (+7);  T9) Sofia Berglund, UALR, 71-73-79-223;  T9) Avery George, MTSU, 79-69-75-223

South Alabama scores
3) Kristen Golightly, 74-73-69-216 (E);  8) Ashleigh Ryals, 78-71-73-222 (+6);  T9) Ingrid Hagen, 76-75-72-223 (+7);  T20) Caroline Beebe, 80-75-74-229 (+13);  T42) Anna Lesher, 81-78-77-236


All-Tournament Team
Kristen Golightly, South Alabama
Abigail Laker, Arkansas State
Sophie Godley, FIU
Meghan MacLaren, FIU (Individual Medalist)
Tara Tare, FIU
Alison Knowles, ULM
Olivia Love, Middle Tennessee