Women’s Golf
The women’s golf team placed third at the Chick-fil-A Invitational, setting a record for a the team’s best in this event since 2014-15.
“Since it was the last tournament of the fall season, I knew we all wanted to do our best,” said the leader of the final round Caitlyn Chilito.
Sophomore Erin Donovan held the individual lead after the first round on Monday. The Lions played constantly but trailed Huntingdon College going into the second round. Piedmont had a team score of 318 (+26). Donovan jumped ahead quickly with a birdie on hole No. 1 and eagle on hole No. 2. She finished with a 74. Chilito had a pair of birdies to end in an 81. To end the first round, Sarah Fox finished with a non-counting 85.
Chilito delivered her best performance of the fall for the second straight round. She led Piedmont for round two with an 8-over 80 finishing in the top 10. Donovan placed T-4 for individuals. She had one bad hole that set her back on claiming the individual title. Fox boosted her score from the first round by one shot ending in an 84. Together the Lions had a final team score of 339, moving down to third by only being one stroke behind Christopher Newport.
“The mental side of gold plays a large part in our game, so I did my best to keep a level head and focus one shot at a time,” said Chilito.
The Chick-fil-A Invitational wrapped up the Lions fall schedule.
—Bailee Nolan
Men’s Golf
Facing windy conditions, the men’s golf team traveled to Boulder City, Nevada for the NCAA Preview at Boulder Creek finishing in 14th of 18 teams with a team score of 904.
The Lions opened the event strong with a team total 308 to boost them to 7th place, in the middle of the pack. However, the conditions challenged the Lions the second day, and they dropped to 14th where they stayed for the remainder of the event. Sophomore Adam Rogers led the team with a 3-round total of 221.
Rogers put up three scores in the seventies leaving him with a T-21 finish. Senior Josh Hebrink saved his best round for last with a counting 67 (-5). The field faced upwards of 30 mph winds throughout the event; however, Methodist University dominated with a team score of 850, winning by 25 strokes.
With this event finishing out the fall season, Rogers thinks that building the teams’ confidence will benefit come the spring. “I think we just aren’t giving ourselves the credit that we deserve for our flashes of greatness. Once we understand where we are going and what we are able to achieve, the sky is the limit for us.”
The men’s golf team has concluded its fall season and will return in the spring for the Savannah Harbor Invitational March 5-7 in Savannah.
—Erin Donovan
