Results

MIRAMAR BEACH, Fla. – Kaeli Jones shot a 1-over par 72 to lead the University of South Alabama women's golf team in the final round of the Sun Belt Conference Championship Tuesday at Raven Golf Club at Sandestin.

Jones (75-82-72) tied her career low with Tuesday's 72 after shooting 1-under par 34 on the front nine, followed by a 2-over par 38 on her final nine holes of the season. Jones opened with four consecutive pars before carding a birdie at the par-four fifth hole to move to 1-under par on the round. Five straight pars followed, including one at the 10th hole after making the turn, but back-to-back bogeys at the par-five 11th and par-three 12th moved her back to 1-over par on the round. Jones used a birdie at the par-four 15th to move to even par on the round, but a bogey at the par-four 18th left her at 1-over par on the round and 2-over on the back nine. Jones earned the best finish among the Jaguars at tied for 10th with a three-round total of 229. 

"Kaeli hit it great today," head coach Matt Luther said. "She hit almost every fairway and green; she hit it like she has been hitting it so it was good to see her finish that way."

MacKenzie Peyton (75-77-80) finished with a three-round score of 232, and finished tied for 18th in her first SBC Championship. Peyton turned in a 9-over par 80 in the final round, after going 5-over 40 on the front nine and 4-over 40 on the back. 

Carianne Wright (81-83-77) turned in her lowest round of the tournament with a 6-over par 77 on Tuesday. Wright played her front nine holes at 1-over par 36. She opened the round with a double bogey at the par-four first, but responded with a birdie at the par-five third. A bogey on the par-three fourth moved her back to 2-over on the round, but Wright sank a birdie on the par-five seventh and carded consecutive pars to make the turn at 1-over par. She opened her back nine holes with a birdie at No. 10, but played her final eight holes at 6-over par to finish at 6-over 77 on the round. Wright finished tied for 29th overall.

Caroline Beebe (81-74-82) shot 11-over par 82 in her final round as a Jaguar. Beebe shot 5-over par 40 on the front nine, with a birdie at the seventh, and 6-over 42 on the back nine. Beebe finished 25th overall with a three-round total of 237. Elisa Axelsen (82-76-82) also shot 11-over par 82 in the final round. Axelsen made the turn at 3-over par 38, but an 8-over 44 on the back nine moved her back to 11-over par. She finished tied for 27th with a three-round score of 240.

South Alabama (312-309-311) finished sixth with a three-round team score of 932 after turning in a total of 311 in the final round.

"This group has come miles since I got here," Luther said. "Every player who was in the lineup for us in the spring has improved at least one full shot on their scoring average from last year, and some up to two or three which is huge. Individually, everyone is two shots better which is miles is college golf. If we can do that next year and the year after, we'll be at (NCAA) regionals and nationals the way we should be."

 Texas State won the championship with a team total of 895, while the Bobcats' Maty Monzingo (74-73-74) earned individual medalist honors with a three-round, 8-over par total of 221. 

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