Upstate Takes 6th At EKU El Diablo Intercollegiate
3/13/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Golf
March 13, 2009
Citrus Springs, Fla. - Richelle Wedzik carded her second 77 of the tournament and the USC Upstate women's golf team turned in its third-straight solid round to finish sixth in the 15-team EKU El Diablo Intercollegiate at the El Diablo Golf and Country Club Friday afternoon.
Upstate, playing its fourth tournament in a span of 18 days, turned in a 322 Friday afternoon to finish with a 54-hole total of 952. The 322 round followed yesterday's rounds of 316 and 314. Upstate entered the day in fifth place, but St. John's used a 316 Friday to jump Upstate into fifth place by two strokes. The Red Storm finished at 950 for the tournament. Upstate was able to hold off Murray State and Florida Gulf Coast, which finished one stroke back in a tie for seventh.
"The round was not as low as we wanted it to be," said Upstate assistant coach Sandy Halkett. "We had some bad breaks that turned into some big numbers. Our bunker play was a little weak. We just didn't get out of the bunkers very well. Our ball striking was pretty good, we just struggled with our short game. We are disappointed that we weren't able to hold our position, but we took a strong team to this tournament and we know what we have to work on to make it better."
Ball State won the tournament by 13 strokes with a 914 total and was followed by James Madison (927), Florida Atlantic (927), Indianapolis (937), St. John's (950), Upstate (952), Murray State (953), Florida Gulf Coast (953), Southern Illinois (957), Austin Peay (959), Eastern Kentucky (971), Radford (973), UAB (1002), SIU-Edwardsville (1008) and IUPUI (1027). Florida Atlantic's P. Phol-uayporn won medalist honors with a 3-under-par 213 total, winning by 10 strokes over Ball State's Kristy O'Connor.
Wedzik's 77 moved her into a top-15 finish individually, finishing as the low Spartan with a 236 total and into a tie for 14th. She opened the tournament with a 77 and carded an 82 in the second round.
"Richelle had another strong tournament," said Halkett. "She hit every fairway and could have gone lower if she could have made a couple putts. But, she played very well."
Jennifer Judge added a top-20 finish after finishing tied for 19th with a 238 total. She shot 80 Friday. It marked the third-straight tournament that the mid-year transfer has finished in the top-two individually among Upstate golfers. Julie Miller finished with an 81 Friday and in a tie for 23rd to give Upstate three players in the top-25. Audrey Church finished in a tie for 44th with a 247 total, while Richia Wedzik finished with a 249 total and in a tie for 47th.
Upstate's sixth-place finish is its second-best effort of the season. Upstate finished third at the Holiday Inn Express/Hatter Classic to end the fall season. The Spartans will hit the links next Friday and Saturday at The Shamrock at Tega Cay Golf Club in Tega Cay, S.C., near Charlotte.
