Results

MOBILE, Ala. – The University of South Alabama women's golf team won the Bama Beach Bash at Gulf Shores Golf Club March 19-21 in Gulf Shores, Ala.

Siti Shaari earned a team-best third-place finish, and Julie Hovland finished tied for fourth. The win marked South Alabama's second of the season.

TOURNAMENT INFORMATION
Event (Host): Bama Beach Bash (Hosted by South Alabama)
Dates: March 19-21 (Friday - Sunday)
Format: 54 holes (18/18/18)
Course: Gulf Shores Golf Club
Yardage:  6,002 yards
Par:  72


 
TEAM SCORES
1) South Alabama, 303-291-297—891 (+27);  T2) Texas State, 308-304-288—900 (+36);  T2) ULM, 300-291-309—900 (+36);  T4) Little Rock, 302-303-299—904 (+40);  T4) Central Arkansas, 298-301-305—904 (+40);  6) South Dakota State, 311-299-298—908 (+44);  7) Murray State, 310-309-308—927 (+63);  8) UAB, 322-306-306-934 (+70); 9) Appalachian State, 321-308-307—936 (+72);  10) Southern Illinois, 318-308-312—938 (+74);  11) North Dakota, 312-309-322—943 (+79);  12) North Alabama, 331-303-326—960 (+96);  13) Eastern Michigan, 324-322-316—962 (+98);  14) Alabama State, 327-320-334—981 (+117);  15) Detroit Mercy, 323-341-330—994 (+130)

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
1) Teresa Toscano, South Dakota State, 73-69-71—213 (-3);  2) Chantel Dueringer, ULM, 73-72-72—217 (+1);  3) Siti Shaari, South Alabama, 76-69-73—218 (+2);  T4) Juile Hovland, South Alabama, 74-71-74—219 (+3);  T4) Geraldine Wong, Texas State, 76-74-69—219 (+3);  T6) Pim-orn Thitisup, Central Arkansas, 76-76-74—224 (+8);  T6) Tania Nunez, Central Arkansas, 73-73-78—224 (+8);  T8) Ana Picchi, Murray State, 76-76-73—225 (+9);  T8) Kellie Gachaga, Little Rock, 76-75-74—225 (+9);  T8) Matilda Cederholm*, Texas State, 74-73-78—225 (+9) 

SOUTH ALABAMA SCORES
3) Siti Shaari, 76-69-73—218 (+2);  T4) Juile Hovland, 74-71-74—219 (+3);  T12) Carlota Garcia, 75-79-73—227 (+11);  T21) Caroline Berge, 78-75-77—230 (+14);  42) Nele Mattner, 79-79-78—236 (+20);  T62) Belinda May, 87-76-80—243 (+27)

TEE SHOTS
- South Alabama's win marked its second of the season, and the first since capturing the Lady Red Wolves Classic Oct. 12-13 in Jonesboro, Arkansas. 
- Hovland earned her second straight top-five finish, and her fifth finish in the top 10 this season out of seven events. 
- Hovland's 1-under par 71 in round two marked her 11th round of the season of par or better. 
- Shaari earned her fourth top-10 finish of the season after a 3-under par 69 in the second round, which marked her ninth round of the season of par or better.
- Hovland led the field in pars with 40 in three rounds.
- Hovland ranked second among the field in par five scoring average with a 5-under par stroke average of 4.67 on par five holes.
- Shaari ranked second among the field in par four scoring average with a 2-over par stroke average of 4.08.
- Shaari played par threes and par fives at an average of even par for the tournament.
- Garcia earned a season-best finish at tied for 12th after a three-round total of 227.
- Berge earned a season-best finish at tied for 21st following a three-round score of 230. 

QUOTES
Head Coach Matt Luther
- On winning the tournament:
"The conditions got a little easier each round, even from the practice round. The wind was blowing like British Open-style in the first round. It was cold. We got a little less (wind) every day. We kind of struggled with it in round one, but we were still right in the middle of it a couple of shots back. We just dealt with it better and better as the week went on. It was good to be in a dogfight with a bunch of other conference teams and come out on top a month before (the Sun Belt Conference Championship). Texas State is good, ULM has been good – it's a good spot to be in."

- On Siti Shaari's 3-under par 69 in round two:
"She had a wild round in the second round. Seven-under (par) through seven holes doesn't happen that often, and some bogeys coming in. It is just as hard to keep your composure when you are playing that well versus when you are playing badly. She has been working hard on just being in the process no matter what the score is, and I think she did a great job of that. She just happened to make four bogeys after seven birdies. If you mix them all up, the round looks a lot different. Or if you play that round backwards where she is 4-over and brings it back to 3-under then if feels a lot different, but it is still the same round. And I think she gets that and that's a big kind of becoming-a-pro step for her – to not get too flustered being over par and not get too wound up taking it that deep either."

- On how the team handled the conditions:
"It was better, it was a war of attrition in the first round and all we had to do was just hang around the top of the leaderboard which we did. That's how you win golf tournaments. You don't go away when it's tough, and you capitalize when it's good and we did that."

- On Carlota Garcia:
"She played great on Sunday. In the second round, she let a good round get away from her and was in the same position the next day and closed her round out. She is still figuring things out, and is doing a good job of it."

UP NEXT
South Alabama will return to action March 29-30 when it competes in the Georgia State Invitational in Atlanta.

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/WeAreSouth_JAGS. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).
 
Join the Chip In Club, the women's golf specific support club of the Jaguar Athletic Fund. All donations to the Chip In Club go directly to support the South Alabama women's golf program. For more information on how you can join visit: jaguarathleticfund.com/chipinclub.