Ando Claims Third-Place Finish at Sun Belt Championships

Tuesday, April 18

Daytona, Fla.

All Day

Southern Miss

LPGA International (Round 3)

Ando Claims Third-Place Finish at Sun Belt Championships

4/18/2023 7:22:00 PM | Women's Golf

DAYTONA, Fla. -- Southern Miss sophomore Momoka Ando claimed a tie for third-place at the Sun Belt Championships during the final round on Tuesday afternoon at LPGA National. Ando became the fourth golfer in program history to pick up All-Tournament Team Honors.

Southern Miss' 292 today was the low round of the day out the of the 13 Sun Belt schools in the playing field. It was also its lowest round since the second round of the Tchefuncta Invitational on Feb. 27. Ando's third-place finish comes one year after current Golden Eagle Merche Corbacho finished in the same spot at the Conference USA Championships.

"I'm incredibly proud of the heart this group showed today," said head coach Lucy Nunn Burke. "They did a great job of focusing on the task at hand and were able to put the first two days behind us.

"To post the low round of the day and climb the board, it showed our group the potential we had. Mo was so steady from the minute she stepped on the tournament site, and I'm so grateful for who she is and how she represents us and Southern Miss. Despite our struggles, there was so much good that came out of this season and the bar has been set moving forward."

After starting the day in fifth after Monday's four-over 76, the Japan native answered back with a one-under 71 as she climbed back up the leaderboard. Ando had three birdies to bring her tournament total to nine, tied for the second-most of any golfer in the field. Freshman Alma Betoret struggled during her first two rounds in Daytona but fired a one-under 71 during her Tuesday round. She finished in a tie for 40^that her first postseason event.

Freshman Taylor Trible went into the clubhouse with a two-over 74 to finish in a tie for 16^th. She was the top Golden Eagle finisher behind Ando. Elena Melich rounded out the team score with a four-over 76. Jacee Fields made her first appearance of the tournament after subbing in for Fernanda Gorostiaga. Fields finished her only round with a six-over 78, which included three birdies.

The Golden Eagles finished with a 297.3 season stroke average, which is the second-best in program history. The 2016-17 team finished with a 297.2 season stroke average. It's only the second time in program history a Golden Eagle squad has gone below 300.

ULM took home the team trophy after beating Texas State in a playoff. Old Dominion's Leah Onosato won the individual title, finishing two-under par for the week. Both ULM and Onosato automatically advance to the NCAA Regionals.

Individual Southern Miss Leaderboard
T3. Momoka Ando (70-76-71-217)
T16. Taylor Trible (78-72-74-224)
T40. Alma Betoret (80-82-71-233)
43. Elena Melich (81-79-76-236)
S. Fernanda Gorostiaga (73-90-DNP)
S. Jacee Fields (DNP-DNP-78)

Team Leaderboard
1. Texas State
2. ULM
3. Arkansas State
4. Georgia Southern
5. Southern Miss
6. South Alabama
7. Old Dominion
8. James Madison
9. Georgia State
10. Troy
11. Marshall
12. Coastal Carolina
13. App State