University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Women's Golf Storms Back to Win The Judson
10/29/2024 3:06:00 PM | Women's Golf
HATTIESBURG, Miss. --Â Southern Miss went into Tuesday's final round of The Judson trailing Tarleton State by six strokes at Hattiesburg Country Club. After the dust settled this afternoon, it came out of the final round as tournament champions and helped first-year head coach Colton Cowan earn his first Division I tournament win.Â
"I am super proud of the ladies," Cowan said. "One of our main focuses this entire year, and will continue to be a focus, is resiliency and grit. Playing at home you have the knowledge of what to do, but the mental burden and expectations -- in my mind -- make it more challenging. So, we were prepared for the challenges and were not surprised when they happened. The ladies did exactly that, staying in the present, and taking the challenge for what it is, not for what we hoped it would be."Â
Taylor Trible drained a chip for birdie on the 16th hole that arguably saved Southern Miss' title hopes. The birdie was a string of three over a four-hole stretch. The stretch matched three birdies on the front nine that helped the Golden Eagle individual to a second-place finish. Trible's 54-hole total of 213 also bested her previous career mark by four strokes and set her up for the best individual finish of her career thus far.Â
Southern Miss' team total of 288 today also gave it two rounds of par-or-better golf in a single tournament for the first time under Cowan. The Golden Eagles fired a one-under 287 during Monday's second round to go along with todays impressive round. Louise Cuyvers' putt on the 18th hole sealed the win for Southern Miss as she was the final Golden Eagle to come into the clubhouse. The putt also gave the freshman a new 54-hole career-low of 217 and slid her into a tie for fourth place — the lowest finish of her career.Â
Elena Melich used an even-par 72 to hold steady for a sixth-place finish and eagles the ninth hold to put her at one-under on the front half of Hattiesburg Country Club. Momoka Ando rattled off four birdies over the first five holes to help Southern Miss down the stretch. The senior finished with a one-over 73 and ended the tournament in 12th.Â
Ragini Navet's two-over 74 was not factored into the team score. On the induvial side of the lineup, Alma Betoret used a career-low 69 today to finish in sixth. Jacee Fields fired an even-par 72 to join Navet in a tie for 13th. Fernanda Gorostiaga finished in 52nd.
The win was the first for Southern Miss under Cowan and the program's first since winning the Hoover Invite in the fall of 2022. The win ended the Golden Eagles' fall schedule and gives them a lengthy break before returning to action on Feb. 17 at Windance Country Club.Â
Individual Leaderboard
2. Taylor Trible (71-73-69-213)
T4. Louise Cuyvers (71-72-74-217)
T6. Elena Melich (76-70-72-218)
T6. Alma Betoret (76-73-69-218)
12. Momoka Ando (74-75-73-222)
T13. Ragini Navet (77-72-74-223)
T13. Jacee Fields (74-77-72-223)
52. Fernanda Gorostiaga (80-80-84-245)
Team Leaderboard
1. Southern Miss
2. Tarleton State
3. Jacksonville State
4. North Alabama
5. Alabama State
6. UAB
7. Belmont
8. Lamar
9. Western Illinois
10. Mississippi College
"I am super proud of the ladies," Cowan said. "One of our main focuses this entire year, and will continue to be a focus, is resiliency and grit. Playing at home you have the knowledge of what to do, but the mental burden and expectations -- in my mind -- make it more challenging. So, we were prepared for the challenges and were not surprised when they happened. The ladies did exactly that, staying in the present, and taking the challenge for what it is, not for what we hoped it would be."Â
Taylor Trible drained a chip for birdie on the 16th hole that arguably saved Southern Miss' title hopes. The birdie was a string of three over a four-hole stretch. The stretch matched three birdies on the front nine that helped the Golden Eagle individual to a second-place finish. Trible's 54-hole total of 213 also bested her previous career mark by four strokes and set her up for the best individual finish of her career thus far.Â
Southern Miss' team total of 288 today also gave it two rounds of par-or-better golf in a single tournament for the first time under Cowan. The Golden Eagles fired a one-under 287 during Monday's second round to go along with todays impressive round. Louise Cuyvers' putt on the 18th hole sealed the win for Southern Miss as she was the final Golden Eagle to come into the clubhouse. The putt also gave the freshman a new 54-hole career-low of 217 and slid her into a tie for fourth place — the lowest finish of her career.Â
Elena Melich used an even-par 72 to hold steady for a sixth-place finish and eagles the ninth hold to put her at one-under on the front half of Hattiesburg Country Club. Momoka Ando rattled off four birdies over the first five holes to help Southern Miss down the stretch. The senior finished with a one-over 73 and ended the tournament in 12th.Â
Ragini Navet's two-over 74 was not factored into the team score. On the induvial side of the lineup, Alma Betoret used a career-low 69 today to finish in sixth. Jacee Fields fired an even-par 72 to join Navet in a tie for 13th. Fernanda Gorostiaga finished in 52nd.
The win was the first for Southern Miss under Cowan and the program's first since winning the Hoover Invite in the fall of 2022. The win ended the Golden Eagles' fall schedule and gives them a lengthy break before returning to action on Feb. 17 at Windance Country Club.Â
Individual Leaderboard
2. Taylor Trible (71-73-69-213)
T4. Louise Cuyvers (71-72-74-217)
T6. Elena Melich (76-70-72-218)
T6. Alma Betoret (76-73-69-218)
12. Momoka Ando (74-75-73-222)
T13. Ragini Navet (77-72-74-223)
T13. Jacee Fields (74-77-72-223)
52. Fernanda Gorostiaga (80-80-84-245)
Team Leaderboard
1. Southern Miss
2. Tarleton State
3. Jacksonville State
4. North Alabama
5. Alabama State
6. UAB
7. Belmont
8. Lamar
9. Western Illinois
10. Mississippi College
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Golf
/ Women's Golf
/ Women's Golf
/ Women's Golf
/ Women's Golf
/ Women's Golf
/ Women's Golf
/ Women's Golf
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