March 26, 2012

Final-round push gives Golden Eagles strong finish

The Tennessee Tech women’s golf team sliced 13 strokes off its first-round score to finish strong in Monday’s final round at the Low Country Intercollegiate at Moss Creek Plantation.

Shepherd, Bell lead Tech

HILTON HEAD, S.C. – The Tennessee Tech women's golf team sliced 13 strokes off its first-round score to finish strong in Monday's final round at the Low Country Intercollegiate at Moss Creek Plantation.

After shooting a team score of 341 in Sunday's first round, the Golden Eagles recovered to fire 328 as a group and move up one spot for a 14^th-place finish.

It was the second straight tournament in which Tech has finished with a strong final round – the team moved up two spots last week at the 2012 Pinehurst Challenge.

Amber Shepherd was the Golden Eagles' final-round leader, finishing with an 81 to go with Sunday's 83 for a combined 164.

Shepherd's effort tied her with Katherine Bell, who also finished at 164. Bell shot a first-round 81 to go with a second-round 83.

The rest of the Tech contingent consisted of Brandy VanEtten (88-82=170), Amanda Randolph (89-82=171) and Katy Beth Glover (93-102=195).

Appalachian State held on to win the tournament by two strokes over second-place Radford and third-place Jacksonville. The Mountaineers finished with a team score of 621 while Radford came in at 623 and Jacksonville at 624. Elon (627) and Gardner-Webb (639) rounded out the top five.

The rest of the field consisted of Wofford (641), Presbyterian (642), Newberry (643), Bowling Green State (646), Brown (646), Princeton (647), Western Kentucky (652), USC Upstate (659), Tennessee Tech (669) and The Citadel (675).

Princeton's Kelly Shon and Newberry's Maria Luz Besio shared medalist honors, both finishing at 149.

The Golden Eagles return to action at the Belmont Invitational on April 2-3 in Nashville, Tenn.