Middle Tennesee State University Athletics
Middle Tennessee
Conference USA Championships
Blue Raiders finish C-USA Championship in ninth place
4/20/2022 2:41:00 PM | Women's Golf
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. – Middle Tennessee women's golf finished the third round of the Conference USA Championship in ninth place Wednesday. The Blue Raiders finished the tournament with a 54-hole score of 968 (+100) after posting a third-round score of 329 (+41).
"Definitely disappointed in our finish, but we gave everything we had to the end," head coach Chris Adams said. "The wind was something today – 25 mile per hour gusts made the course very difficult. This golf course is a beast and could not have played any harder."
On a day featuring partly cloudy conditions and those strong winds, the average score for the third round was 83.59, nearly three strokes higher than the previous round's average and almost four strokes more than the first round.
"The course was tough, as was evident in the scores, but we know we could have done better," Adams said. "I think this will be a great learning experience for the returners, and we will know how to handle the toughest possible conditions. We will miss the three seniors for sure. They have given their heart and soul for the past four years in Madison's case and five years for Sophie and Caroline."
The tournament was the final event in the collegiate careers of three Blue Raiders: grad students Sophie Burks and Caroline Caudill and senior Madison Smith.
Burks was MT's highest finisher in the tournament, tying for 19th place at 241 (+25). She was one of two Blue Raiders to finish with scores better than the field average Wednesday, wrapping up the third round with a score of 81 (+9).
Molly Bebelaar finished in a tie for 26th at 244 (+28). She carded two of the Blue Raiders' six birdies in the third round, finishing with a score of 87 (+15) Wednesday.
Smith's 78 (+9) was MT's lowest score of the third round. She notched a team-leading three birdies Wednesday and ended the tournament tied for 32nd at 246 (+30).
Catherine Caudill also tied for 32nd at 246 (+30). The Clarksville, Tenn., native recorded her third-highest individual finish of the year after shooting an 84 (+12) Wednesday.
Caroline Caudill carded an 86 (+14) in the third round to finish in a tie for 34th at 247 (+31).
Burks parred 31 holes during the three-round event, tied for eighth-most among the 60-player field. Smith's six birdies led the team and were tied for sixth-most in the tourney.
North Texas won the team title at 935 (+71), one stroke ahead of UTSA. Florida Atlantic's Letizia Bagnoli won the individual title at 222 (+6), seven strokes ahead of second place.
Players Mentioned
