ANDERSON, S.C. – With an eye on the South Atlantic Conference Championships on the horizon and just two weeks away, the fifth-ranked Anderson women's golf team is set to wrap up the regular season with their first-ever appearance in the Findlay Spring Invitational, on Monday and Tuesday.
The Oilers are hosting the two-day tournament on a par 72, 6,048-yard Big Blue Course at the University Club of Kentucky in Lexington.
In addition to the Trojans and host Oilers, the field is expected to include Malone, Trevecca Nazarene, Northwood, Saginaw Valley, Tiffin, Grand Valley State, Ferris State, Northern Michigan, Ashland, Maryville, Davenport, UT Permian Basin, Wayne State and Missouri – St. Louis.
The Trojans, who have not finished lower that fourth this year, own runner-up finishes at the South Region Preview, the Flagler Fall Slam and last week's Emerald Coast Classic, to go along with the Patsy Rendleman championship, while battling arguably the strongest fields in the nation.
In an Emerald Coast Classic that was shortened to two rounds because of inclement weather last week, senior Kerington Lamb finished in a tie for third place, while junior Emma Charles shared fifth place. Sophomore Jessica Rathbone finished in a three-way tie for 14th, with senior Victoria Hall sharing the 20th slot, alongside the freshman duo of Kennedy McGaha and Zoey Iglesias. Senior Anna Freeman claimed a tie for 55th place.
Rathbone continues to pace an exceptionally balanced team with a 73.39 unadjusted stroke average across 18 rounds (seven tournaments), while firing a season-low 69 in the third round of the South Region Preview on the way to a runner-up finish. A native of Montpelier, Va., she also finished as runner-up at Flagler's Fall Slam. McGaha boasts a 74.39 unadjusted stroke average and owns a round of 68 (LeeAnn Noble Memorial), along with a pair of 69s – at the LeeAnn Noble Memorial and at the Lady Moc Classic. McGaha has a pair of top-10 finishes through seven tournaments this season and hasn't finished lower than 19th.
Behind her two-round even-par effort last week, Lamb trimmed nearly a stroke off her season average and is third on the squad with a 74.69 stroke average and fired a school record 66 in the third round of the Lady Moc Classic on the way to a runner-up finish four weeks ago. Hall has posted a 75.00 stroke average through 18 rounds, while notching a season-low 71 in the opening round of the Patsy Rendleman.
Iglesias has competed in five tournaments on the year and owns a 75.31 unadjusted average, while notching the team's second lowest round of the year with a 67 in the second round of the Patsy Rendleman. The Port St. Lucie, Fla., native has notched four top-25 performances this year, including bringing home third place at the Rendleman.
Charles fired an even-par 71 in last Monday's second round and has carded a season-low 69 and a 71 at the LeeAnn Noble Memorial to go along with a 71 in the first round of the year at the South Region Preview and owns four top-25 performances en route to a 75.89 stroke average. Freeman owning a 76.80 stroke average after firing a season-low 71 last month at the Lady Moc Classic. The Aiken. S.C., native has finished in the top 25 in four of her six tournaments this season.
This week will mark AU's second straight tournament in which they're competing for the first time in program history.
