Stockbridge, Ga.?The Georgia State women's golf team won a one-hole team playoff over Jacksonville State to capture the title of the 15th annual John Kirk/Panther Intercollegiate Tuesday at Eagles Landing Country Club, the second team title of the season for the 35th-ranked Panthers.
Iliska Verwey, Nicole Loesch, Sandra Maier and Cathrine Madsen scored even par for Georgia State on the par-four 10th hole to edge Jacksonville State, which managed only one par on the playoff hole. Maier, who contributed a career-low 72 in Monday's first round, put her drive in the bunker but nailed a four-iron 149 yards onto the green en route to her par.
The Panthers entered Tuesday's final round with an eight-stroke lead but were caught by Jacksonville State, which shot a 13-over-par 305 on the day, led by Mercedes Huarte, who fired the best round of the day with a one-under 72, highlighted by a hole-in-one on the seventh hole, a 126-yard par three. State was led by the freshman Verwey with a 75, but the Panthers were 21-over as a team at 313 on the par-73, 6,145-yard layout.
Anna Scott (73-77) was Georgia State's top individual for the tournament, finishing in a tie for fourth place at 150, while Verwey (78-75=153) and Maier (72-81=153), tied for ninth place.
“I told our team before the playoff that this is why we play,” said Georgia State head coach Cathy Mant, whose squad earned the first playoff victory of her tenure with the Panthers. “It was awesome to be in first going into today, but it was nerve-wracking because we got off to a slow start this morning. But we responded with a better back nine to force the tie.
“I hope we can learn from Monday's good round and then today's poorer round to help us prepare for the conference and NCAA tournaments.”
Suzanne Stanley of Mississippi State captured the individual title by shooting 74 on the day for a 36-hole total of 147, one over par and two strokes ahead of Maria Ringdahl of East Tennessee State (74-75) and Maria Ronderos of Miami (73-76), each at 149.
Huarte's 72 was equaled by Desiree Karlsson of Western Carolina (312-306=618), posted a final round 306 to take third place in the team standings, five strokes behind the leaders.
East Tennessee State posted Tuesday's best team round at 304, led by Ringdahl and Lucy Gould at 75, and all four counting players in the 70s. The Buccaneers (318-304=622) placed fourth overall, with Mississippi State rounding out the top five at 313-310=623.
TEAM SCORES
- Georgia State 300-313=613 +29 (Won one-hole team playoff)
- Jacksonville State 308-305=613 +29
- Western Carolina 312-306=618 +34
- East Tennessee St. 318-304=622 +38
- Mississippi State 313-310=623 +39
- Augusta State 314-310=624 +40
- Campbell 320-311=631 +47
- Maryland 323-313=636 +52
- UALR 327-312=639 +55
- Elon 325-315=640 +56
- Coastal Carolina 322-324=646 +62
- Miami 326-326=652 +68
- Richmond 331-324=655 +71
- Xavier 332-323=655 +71
- Memphis 335-322=657 +73
TOP INDIVIDUALS
Suzanne Stanley, Mississippi State 73-74=147 +1
Maria Ringdahl, ETSU 74-75=149 +3
Maria Ronderos, Miami 76-73=149 +3
Anna Scott, Georgia State 73-77=150 +4
Jessica Steward, Miami 72-78=150 +4
Mercedes Hurate, Jacksonville State 72-72=151 +5
Kelly Calkin, Maryland 76-76=152 +6
Desiree Karlsson, Western Carolina 80-72=152 +6
Iliska Verwey, Georgia State 78-75=153 +7
Sandra Maier, Georgia State 72-81=153 +7
GEORGIA STATE INDIVIDUALS
Anna Scott 73-77=150 +4
Iliska Verwey 78-75=153 +7
Sandra Maier 72-81=153 +7
Cathrine Madsen 77-80=157 +11
Nicole Loesch 81-82=163 +17
Claire Starkie (Individual) 76-80-156 +10
Cherishton Brett (Individual) 102-84=186 +40
