JOHN'S ISLAND, S.C. – Penn State carded its second lowest round this season and the sixth lowest score of the day during the final round at the Briar's Creek Invitational on Tuesday. The Nittany Lions were one of just six teams in red figures posting a 1-under, 287, shaving 30 strokes off its opening round total and 17 strokes off its second round score.
Penn State slid up the leaderboard slightly with its strong finishing round placing tied for 12th in the 18-team field at 44-over par.
"This was an important round for our team," mentioned Denise St. Pierre. "What we learned this week is we need to be better at playing in adverse conditions, both technically and mentally as well."
The host College of Charleston Cougars held off a charging Miami Hurricanes squad by one stroke finishing the week 9-over compared to Miami's 10-over. The Hurricanes posted the low round of the tournament at 16-under in the final round while the Cougars went 4-under. Maryland was the big mover posting the second-best card in the final round with a 10-under score moving up four spots and into third with a 22-over score for the week. Ohio State (25-over) and Michigan (26-over) rounded out the top-5.
The Nittany Lions were led by junior Sarah Willis (Eaton, Ohio) who carded a season-low 4-under, 68, in the final round tying her second lowest score as a Nittany Lion. Willis finished tied for 20th position moving up 23 spots on the day with six birdies and a pair of bogeys in her round.
Sophomore Mathilde Delavallade (Royan, France) tied her career-low round with a 3-under, 69, in the final round moving up 21 spots and into a tie for 34th for the championship. Delavallade had five birdies with only one bogey on the day.
Senior Megan McLean (Lebanon, N.J.) and sophomore Isha Dhruva (Katy, Texas) rounded out the team scoring with identical 3-over rounds of 75 while freshman Victoria Tip-Aucha (Vienna, Va.) shot 5-over, 77, in the final round.
The Nittany Lions have a quick turnaround as they are right back on the road next Monday and Tuesday at the Pinetree Women's Collegiate in Kennesaw, Georgia.
FINAL RESULTS
