Women’s Golf Posts Convincing Win at Low Tide Intercollegiate

Posted: Feb 28, 2023

MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. – Freshman Kennedy Gooding claimed her first individual championship behind a school-record, 54-hole 13-under-par 203, and four other Trojans filled the remaining top spots, as the Anderson women's golf team rolled to a 29-shot victory, Tuesday at Limestone's Low Tide Intercollegiate.

The Saints hosted the 16-team, 54-hole, two-day tournament at the 6,100 yard, par-72 Dunes West Golf and River Club.

"So excited about the way the girls played this week," said Anderson Head Women's Coach Denton Moore. "They did a phenomenal job handling the wind this week. They also did exactly what I wanted them to do today. They dominated and made the gap even bigger. It is so difficult to show up to an event and be expected to win. They handled that pressure with absolute ease. The dominated from the start."

The fifth-ranked Trojans ran away with the team title, while the host Saints finished a distant second. Carson-Newman claimed third place, with Lander and West Georgia sharing the fourth slot. North Georgia and Montevallo finished sixth and seventh, respectively, with Columbus State finishing eighth. Newberry claimed the ninth spot, while UNC Pembroke and Coker finished in a deadlock for 10th place.

Catawba, Erskine, Lenoir-Rhyne, Tusculum and Davenport finished out the field.

While playing as an individual, Gooding claimed the championship by setting the school's benchmark for 36 holes and 54 holes, while matching the program record for a single round, as well. The Lexington native outdistanced fellow freshman Paige Paolucci by 13 strokes, while teammates Jessica Rathbone and Kennedy McGaha shared third place.

"I honestly don't have words for Kennedy Gooding," added Moore. "She wasn't playing the same course as the rest of the field. That course was not that easy. She was as close to perfect as I have ever seen. She led the field in birdies with what felt like a million, but I think ended up being 18. She has been working so hard, and now she is a college champion. That is only going to help her confidence explode. She has such a bright future here. So proud of her."

Sophomore Zoey Iglesias jumped up three spots and claimed a share of fifth place, while grad student Kerington Lamb vaulted up 10 spots and finished in a tie for 11th place. Freshman Aly Francis shared 31st place and senior Emma Charles finished in a tie for 44th place.

"The team was awesome this week," said Moore. "Paige Paolucci just continues to impress me. A second-place finish in her second tournament in the lineup was just awesome. She has been so solid the last six rounds. Kennedy McGaha and Jessica Rathbone just continue to build on their All-American resumes. They are so good and so consistent. Zoey Iglesias is having a career year and showing zero signs of a sophomore slump. She was locked in this week and absolutely fantastic. Super senior Kerington Lamb was great this week in the last two rounds when we had to have her. She has been with me from the beginning, and I just have a lot of faith and trust in her. So proud of the effort this week. These girls are going take a week off for spring break, and they deserve it! This is our third win of the year, and I believe we are only getting better and stronger. This team has now proven they are one of the best teams and programs in the country. Now it's time to start getting locked in for the postseason. This is an extremely happy and proud coach. I am super-blessed with a fantastic group. Go Trojans."

Following a three-week layoff, the Trojans are slated to get back on the links at the Findlay Spring Invite, which will be hosted by the Oilers at the University of Kentucky's Big Blue course in Lexington, Ky.

Notables
• Gooding's third-round 68 matched the seventh-lowest mark in program history.
• Gooding's three-round 203 set a school record for 54 holes.
• AU's 54-hole 867 tied the second-lowest three-round mark in program history.
• The Trojans third-round 291 matched the 16th-lowest round in program history.
• Four Trojans stood at the top of the individual leaderboard following the first round (McGaha and Gooding/T-1st, Charles/3rd, Paolucci/4th)
• Gooding's second-round 66 matched the school record for low round, which was previously set by Lamb at the 2022 Lady Moc Classic.
• Gooding's two-round 135 marked a program record for 36 holes.
• Rathbone's two-round 142 matched the ninth-lowest 36-hole score in program history.
• McGaha and Gooding's first-round 69s matched the ninth-lowest rounds in school history.
• The Trojans' first-round 286 marked the fourth-lowest round in program history.
• AU's second-round 290 matched the 13th -lowest round in program history.
• Rathbone's second-round 69 also matched the ninth-lowest round in school history.

1 Anderson 286 290 291 867
1 Kennedy Gooding 69 66 68 203
2 Paige Paolucci (4) 71 74 71 216
T3 Kennedy McGaha (1) 69 74 74 217
T3 Jessica Rathbone (5) 73 69 75 217
T5 Zoey Iglesias (3) 73 73 73 219
T11 Kerington Lamb (2) 77 74 73 224
T31 Aly Francis 77 74 79 230
T44 Emma Charles 70 81 83 234

Teams Scores
1 Anderson 286 290 291 867 +3
2 Limestone 296 297 303 896 +32
3 Carson-Newman 305 297 300 902 +38
T4 Lander 301 307 297 905 +41
T4 West Georgia 308 292 305 905 +41
6 North Georgia 303 300 309 912 +48
7 Montevallo 306 302 310 918 +54
8 Columbus State304 308 310 922 +58
9 Newberry 316 308 306 930 +66
T10 UNC Pembroke302 313 322 937 +73
T10 Coker 314 315 308 937 +73
12 Catawba 316 321 314 951 +87
T13 Erskine 320 306 332 958 +94
T13 Lenoir-Rhyne316 314 328 958 +94
15 Tusculum 325 318 326 969 +105
16 Davenport 336 321 324 981 +117