The Lady Bruins golf team competed well in the NCCAA South Regional Tournament this week as the team finished 2nd overall of the two teams competing. Erskine College defeated BJU to win the South Region Championship, but the Bruins were able to show improvement in several areas over the course of the two-day tournament.
"It has been such a blessing to coach these girls this year," Bruins Assistant Women's Golf Coach Christine Heath said. "They are such hard workers and are very self-motivated. They have improved tremendously and strive to improve more and more each round."
The Bruins came into the tournament on the heels of their season opener September 14-15 at the Bruins Golf Classic in Anderson, South Carolina. Kate Matthews led the team with a second place finish on the individual leaderboard as the team placed 3rd overall in their opening tournament.
The NCCAA South Regional Tournament would be played at Columbia Country Club in Columbia, South Carolina. The Bruins knew they would be in for a tough test as they face Erskine College for the region crown. Erskine had won the 2019 region title and finished 2nd overall at the NCCAA National Tournament.
In the opening round, the Bruins played well as sophomore Rachel Brown hit every green in the opening round, including parring each of the par 3 holes. Kate Matthews also had a strong start as she birdied the 8th hole before making par on nine after a great recovery shot out of the sand. On the back nine, the Bruins continued to play well and bounced back from several tough shots to finish the opening round on a high note.
As the Bruins prepared for the final round, they knew the region title was out of reach because of Erskine's lead. However, the team was still determined to finish strong and it showed as Rachel Brown birdied early on and Kate Matthews recorded three straight birdies on holes six, seven and eight. Elise Snow had an impressive shot over the water on the fifth hole as she saved par to give the team momentum.
Making the turn, the Bruins continued to play well as the team continued to improve. Matthews nearly recorded a hole in one on seventeen as she hit her opening shot about four feet from the pin. After just missing the birdie putt, Matthews finished with a par. As a result, the Bruins finished the second round strong with several players improving on their day-one totals.
"I've never had a team that has worked so hard on their own during off-season," Coach Heath said. "They take it seriously and want to do their best. I'm so proud of how hard they work and how much they love this game."
Next up, the Bruins will wrap up the fall season at the Eagle Invitational in Cohutta, Georgia on October 26.
Tournament Results
