FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 19, 2005 |
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OU Women Golfers Win First Tournament in School
History The Oglethorpe women's golf team won
their first tournament in school history this weekend in the Centre
College Invitational at the Danville Country Club near Lexington,
Kentucky. Playing with three sophomores and two freshmen, the Stormy
Petrel women combined to shoot 335 and shatter the previous school
record in tournament play by an astonishing 28 strokes. Ten more
school records fell for women's golf in the record-setting
performance.
Leading the way for the Petrels was freshman
Paige McCollum who finished third individually, earned
all-tournament honors, and broke another school record with her low
round of 78. McCollum scored that low round by doing what all the
Oglethorpe
 women did in winning the competition: finish the
tournament strong. McCollum closed the tournament by playing the
last four holes at a remarkable two under par. Continuing the trend,
Julia Gates finished her final four holes at only one over par,
Carrie Shirah birdied two of her final seven holes, and Mallory
Pusch played her last five holes in only two over.
"We had a sense that we were having a good
round as a team through about 12 or 13 holes," said head coach Jim
Owen, "then, all of a sudden my thought process went from we might
shoot 350 and finish in the top two or three to, heck - we may win
this thing and break 340." The Petrels did just that - shot a 335
and won the tournament.
Transylvania University finished second at
344, and Division II schools Kentucky Wesleyan and Bellarmine
finished third and fourth with 348 and 353 respectively. The host
school Centre College finished fifth at 354 in the twelve team
field.
Pictures: ABOVE: The Oglethorpe women celebrate
their tournament victory, from left to right: Carrie Shirah, Paige
McCollum, Julia Gates, Jessi Bonham, and Mallory Pusch.
RIGHT: Paige McCollum displays her hard won
All-Tournament Team trophy.
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