Southern Miss
Fall Beach Blast
Women's Golf Captures UAB Fall Beach Bash
11/3/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Golf
HATTIESBURG, Miss. - The Southern Miss women's golf team fired a season-low, final-round score of 294 to capture the UAB Fall Beach Bash title in Gulf Shores, Ala., Tuesday.
The event, which was played at the par-72, 6,246-yard course at the Peninsula Golf and Racquet Club, marked the first Golden Eagle team championship since collecting the Southern Miss Lady Eagle Invitational trophy, March 10-11, 2014. The win at the UAB Fall Beach Bash was the second for the Golden Eagles in the last four years.
Southern Miss finished the 36-hole event with a stroke total of 593, besting second-place McNeese (595) by two strokes and Western Kentucky and Tennessee Tech (596) by three. The stroke total of 593 tied for the lowest 36-hole total at the school for women's golf.
"We are so happy to end the fall season with a victory," said Southern Miss first-year coach Erika Brennan. "All five girls played gutsy golf today, especially coming down the stretch. It's awesome to have an event with all 10 of our scores in the 70s and the girls know that this is what they are capable of producing."
Golden Eagle junior Devon Spriddle (Lethbridge, Alberta) equaled her first-round score from Monday by posting a 73 to finish with a 146 overall stroke total, placing her tied for eighth in the event. It was the highest finish for Spriddle this season, as well as the second time she placed in the top 10 this fall and fifth time in her career.
Sophomore Belen Abrile (Cordoba, Argentina) shot a team-low 71 over the final 18 holes to close at 148, placing her in a 16th-place tie. Junior Kelly Erasmus (Capetown, South Africa) notched a 76 over her final round to register an 18th-place tie.
Junior Emily Ross (Diamondhead, Miss.) finished just one stroke behind Erasmus after shooting a final-round 74 to post a 150 and finish tied for 22nd, while freshman Valentina Haupt (Santiago, Chile) tallied a 76 over her final 18 holes to end with a 153 and a tie for 30th.
Tournament host UAB and South Dakota (601) each tied for fifth in the team standings, while Jacksonville State and Alabama State tied for seventh (602). Austin Peay ended the event in ninth (606), while Belmont (607) posted a 10th-place finish and Lamar (619) came in 11th.
Kayla Wilbourn of UAB took home individual medalist honors, after firing a three-under 141 for the event and beating three other players by three strokes.
"Culture wins and we continue to make that our focus," said Brennan. "We work hard to focus on commitments, the things we can control, and let go of goals and expectations. Today, they played free and we were able to capitalize. I adore this group - they `get it' and that's so rare. Coach Eddie (Brescher) and I are so proud and we are already excited to get back at it this spring."
The Golden Eagles return to action for their first spring tournament, Feb. 22-23, at the Amelia Island Collegiate in Florida.
