HARTSVILLE, S.C. – On the strength of a tournament-record three-round 886, the Anderson women's golf team won the 2022 South Atlantic Conference Championship, while sophomore Jessica Rathbone parlayed a tournament-record and school-record, three-round 208 into the Trojans' first-ever individual SAC title, Tuesday at the Hartsville Country Club.
Coker hosted the three-day, 54-hole tournament over a par-72, 5,896 yard course.
"Just so excited for these ladies," said Anderson Associate Head Coach Denton Moore. "They were absolutely amazing this week. On a golf course where you usually expect to go really low, the greens were firm and fast, the wind was up, and it was an absolute grind. Our ladies just played gritty, and played their brand of golf. We really felt like they did a great job of playing smart when they needed to, and aggressive when the opportunities presented themselves. It was a great team effort all week. I'm honestly not sure Coach Neal or I have words for what Jessica Rathbone did this week. She was playing on a different golf course, that is for sure. She trusted everything she did, respected the green speed, and absolutely dominated. She was amazing, and did even more than what you would expect from an All American. We will be stunned if she isn't voted All American again. It was her first college win, and we are so proud of her."
With the win, the Trojans earn the automatic bid to the 2022 NCAA South Region Tournament which will take place May 2-4 at the Grande Oaks Golf Club in Davie, Fla., with Nova Southeastern serving as the host.
The Trojans, who were ranked fourth in the latest NCAA South Region rankings behind Lynn, Nova Southeastern and Limestone will find out in three weeks who their postseason competition will be, with the NCAA Tournament selections set for Monday, April 25. AU also competed in the 2019 and 2021 NCAA South Region Championships.
The nationally fifth-ranked Trojans out-dueled four-time SAC Champion and 17th-ranked Wingate by nine strokes, while No. 21 Carson-Newman slipped past fourth-ranked Limestone and finished in third place. The Saints fell to fourth, with Lincoln Memorial moving up one spot into fifth place. Queens and Tusculum finished sixth and seventh, respectively, while Lenoir-Rhyne claimed the eighth slot.
Catawba, Coker, Newberry, Mars Hill and UVA Wise wrapped up the 13-team field.
Rathbone carded 12 birdies over the three rounds, including five on Championship Tuesday, while posting an eagle on the par-5 11th hole during the final round. The Montpelier, Va., native claimed Tournament MVP honors with the win and earned all-tournament accolades for the second straight year after her third-round 67 matched the second-best score in school history and the lowest round by an AU golfer at a conference championship.
Lincoln Memorial's Rachel Mathieson (73-71-74=218) finished as runner-up, while AU freshman Kennedy McGaha birdied three holes on the back nine on Tuesday and finished in third place - just one shot behind Mathieson – while also taking home All-Tournament honors. Carson-Newman's Maeve Cummins finished two shots further back in fourth place.
Senior Kerington Lamb narrowly missed out on all-tournament accolades after finishing in a tie for 11th place, with junior Emma Charles finishing with a share of 20th place. Senior Victoria Hall rounded out the Trojan contingent in a tie for 25th place.
"Kennedy McGaha was really special this week," added Moore. "She continues to play beyond what anyone could expect from a freshman. She just does such a good job of staying in control of her emotions. It was a great top-3 finish and all-tournament team performance for her as well. Kerington, Vic, and Emma were all great each day. They did a good job of picking each other up each day when one stumbled. That is where we bear people, with our depth. These ladies never give up, and that's why they are the 2022 SAC Champions! Coach Neal and I are so proud of them, and we can't wait to continue this run at the NCAA Regional in a few weeks!"
1 Anderson 296 294 296 886 +22
1 Jessica Rathbone 72 69 67 208 -8
3 Kennedy McGaha 71 74 74 219 +3
T 11 Kerington Lamb 77 74 77 228 +12
T 20 Emma Charles 77 77 78 232 +16
T 25 Victoria Hall 76 80 79 235 +19
TEAMS
Pos. School Rnd 1 Rnd 2 Rnd 3 Total To Par
1 Anderson 296 294 296 886 +22
2 Wingate 303 299 293 895 +31
3 Carson-Newman 310 302 297 909 +45
4 Limestone 299 302 309 910 +46
5 Lincoln Memorial 307 313 302 922 +58
6 Queens 318 298 309 925 +61
7 Tusculum 320 316 309 945 +81
8 Lenoir-Rhyne 321 315 319 955 +91
9 Catawba 315 329 329 973 +109
10 Coker 318 327 330 975 +111
11 Newberry 317 331 333 981 +117
12 Mars Hill 343 344 342 1029 +165
13 Virginia-Wise 365 368 365 1098 +234
NOTABLES
• The title marks AU's second SAC Championship in three seasons and third overall conference championship after also winning the 2004 Conference Carolinas (CVAC) title.
• Rathbone's individual title marks the first conference championship since former AU standout Kathryn Adkins won the 2004 Conference Carolinas (CVAC) title.
• AU's three-round 886 shattered the previous SAC Championship record of 901, set by Limestone just last year.
• Wingate's three-round 895 also bested the previous tourney record.
• Wingate's final-round 293 set a SAC Championship single-round record, eclipsing AU's second-round 294 set just 24 hours earlier.
• Carson-Newman's three-round 909 marked the fifth-best score in tournament history.
• Limestone's three-round 910 marked the sixth-lowest score in tournament history.
• AU's opening-round and final-round 296s mark the fourth-lowest rounds in SAC Championship history - behind just Wingate's third-round 293, the Trojans' second-round 294 on Monday and Limestone's 295 in the 2021 Championship's third round.
• The Trojans' second-round 294 matched AU's seventh-lowest round of the year and the 10th-best round in program history.
• Queens' second-round 297 marked the fourth-lowest round in SAC Championship history.
• Wingate's second-round 299 marked the fifth-lowest round in SAC Championship history.
• AU's first- and third-round 296 matched the Trojans' ninth-best round of the season and matched the 18th-best round in program history.
• Rathbone's third-round 67 matched the second-best score in school history and the lowest round by an AU golfer at a conference championship.
• Rathbone's three-round 208 sets a new school record, as well as a SAC Championship record.
• McGaha's three-round 219 matches the seventh-lowest score in SAC Championship history and the ninth-best score in school history
• McGaha's opening round 1-under-par 71 matched the 7th-best round in SAC Tournament history.
• Lamb's three-round 228 marked AU's seventh-lowest score in SAC championship history.
• Charles' three-round 232 marked AU's 12th-lowest score in SAC championship history.
• Rathbone's even-par 72 matched the 10th-lowest round in SAC tournament history.
• McGaha's first round 1-under-par 71 marked AU's 3rd-best round ever in the SAC Tournament.
• Rathbone's second-round 69 matched the second-lowest round in SAC Championship history and matches the sixth-lowest round in school history.
• Rathbone's third-round 67 and second-round 69 are the top two best rounds for a Trojan golfer in the SAC Championship.
• Former standout Kate Hill's third-place finish in 2018, along with Rathbone's tie for third last year, stood as the highest individual finishes by a Trojan women's golfer at the SAC Championship.
• Newberry and Wingate have each claimed four SAC titles, with Lenoir-Rhyne and Carson-Newman each taking home the hardware on three occasions. Tusculum was looking for its third title and first since winning back-to-back championships in 2000 and 2001.
