ANDERSON, S.C. - With clear skies and temperatures in the upper 80s across the Upstate, the Tusculum Pioneers slipped 17 shots from their opening round, but held off Flagler College to win the Anderson Invitational Women's Golf Invitational by a comfortable 14 strokes Tuesday afternoon at the par 72, 5,952 yard Cobb's Glen Country Club in Anderson.
TC led the Saints by 14 shots following Monday's first round and the top two teams carded an identical 319 in Tuesday's final round.
Pioneer senior Alyson Pugh (74-76=150) erased a one-stroke deficit over the final 18 holes to claim individual honors, overtaking teammate Emee Herbert (73-80=153) and Lenoir-Rhyne's Katie Thackerson (73-81=154), who were tied entering Tuesday's final round.
Overall, there were six golfers within seven strokes of the lead, with TC's Pugh and Herbert each recording five birdies, while Thackerson notched a tournament-best 26 pars over the two-day event.
Led by a final round 10-over par 82 from senior Kalyn Johnson (75-82=157), Anderson finished third, 18 shots behind Flagler and four strokes in front of fourth-place Erskine.
Johnson followed up a three-over 75 on Monday with nine pars Tuesday to earn a share of sixth place. Trojan freshman Sarah Timms (77-87=164) fired the team's second-best round of the tourney and finished in a five-way tie for 19th.
Junior Lyndsay Parks (82-83=165) finished 15 strokes off the pace with an 11-over 83 on the day, while senior Laura Buyers (85-84=169) trimmed a stroke off her opening-round card and closed out the event tied for 28th. Sophomore Katie Eskew also shaved a stroke off her first-round effort, posting an 85 in her final round.
Catawba equaled the biggest improvement from the opening round, trimming seven shots from its score to finish fifth, while Coker finished five strokes further back in sixth. Pfeiffer, Limestone and Lenoir-Rhyne rounded out the nine-team field.
The Trojans are back in action on Monday, Oct. 3, at the Myrtle
Beach Intercollegiate.
All-Tournament Team
Alyson Pugh, Tusculum
Katie Thackerson, Lenoir-Rhyne
Emee Herbert, Tusculum
Brooke Aldridge, Limestone
Madison Kennedy, Catawba
