Haley Yerxa shot 1-over-par and finished second while leading Georgia Southern women's golf to the team title at the Ford Invitational Saturday at Ford Field and River Club.
The Eagles topped Augusta by a stroke, while Yale finished third and Dartmouth took fourth in the one-day, 36-hole event. It was Georgia Southern's third team win of the season (The Southern, Reynolds Lake Oconee Invite).
Taylor Oberparleiter fired a 71 in the afternoon, the lowest score of the round, to move 12 spots up the leaderboard and tie for fourth. Karlee Vardas' first-round 73 sparked her to an eighth-place finish.
Regina Plascencia and Abby Newton tied for 14th, and Meiqi Gao finished 17th.
Yerxa's second-round 72 was sparked by an eagle on the par-5, 475-yard 9th as she shot a 2-under 34 on the front. The senior fired a 3-under 33 with birdies on 10, 16 and 18 on the back nine in the first round.
Oberparleiter rolled in four birdies in the second round and shot 35 on the back. Vardas parred all nine on the front in the first round and played her final five holes 1-under with a birdie on 16. Newton made six birdies in the first round, including three in five holes as she made the turn, to post a 73.
Scores
Team – 294-294=588 (+12), 1
Haley Yerxa – 73-72=145 (+1), 2
Taylor Oberparleiter – 76-71=147 (+3), T4
Karlee Vardas – 73-76=149 (+5), 8
Regina Plascencia – 77-75=152 (+8), T14
Abby Newton – 73-79=152 (+8), T14
Meiqi Gao - 75-78=153 (+9), 17
Quotables from Head Coach Mimi Burke
"We didn't have our best day, but I'm proud of the fight the girls showed in grinding out our third team win of the season. It's a testament to their character and determination to stay with it and find a way to have success on a day when they weren't playing their best golf. It's something we can build on as we head into our next event, the Valspar Intercollegiate in Augusta."
Next Up
The Eagles stay in state for the third straight event and will play at the Valspar Intercollegiate at Forest Hills Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, March 11-12.
