Posted: Mar 21, 2023
After struggling during the first two rounds Monday in the Dr. Jerry Surratt Invitational at Stonebridge Golf Club in Monroe, N.C., the Coker women's golf team posted the fourth-best score of the day Tuesday to finish 9th of 14 teams. Playing in extreme cold and wind, along with muddy conditions, the Cobras carded 336-328 in the first two rounds but rebounded with an excellent round of 304, one of the top five rounds in school history, on Tuesday.
Sophomore Haylie George, who shot 88-88 on Monday, sizzled to a 1-over 73, a career-best, on Tuesday to lead the Coker rally. She holed her third shot from 70 yards on her first hole of the day for an eagle and carded three other birdies, including one on her final hole, to lead the Cobras.
Grad student Kathleen Escobar and freshman Daniella Gyoni each fired a 4-over 76. Gyoni rolled in three birdies and Escobar had one. They finished tied for 23rd. Junior Mack Taylor Bailey notched one birdie and finished 37th.
As a team, the Cobras carded nine birdies and an eagle and played the par 5s at 3-under.
"What a great comeback for our ladies!" head coach John Hackney said. "It was just tough weather and conditions on Monday, but we showed a lot of mettle by coming back strong today under the direction of assistant coach Dan Schmotzer. That was a sensational round by Haylie and we put four scores in the 70s, which is always a good thing."
Nationally 16th-ranked Wingate, the host school, won a scorecard playoff over Carson Newman to claim the team title at 912 and Wingate's Jess Brown shot 73-75-69--217 (+1) to earn medalist honors.