Belle Vernon, PA. - After rains cut the second round of the CAL-U Invitational short, the Wheeling University Women's Golf team returned to Cedarbrook Golf Course on Friday to play the final 27 holes. However, rain had other plans as the Cardinals would play just seven holes, finishing out the second round before having the third round cancelled. It was a big opening tournament for the Cardinals, with two golfers finishing in the top 10 as the Cardinals took fourth overall in the field.
Leading the way was Sawyer Hobbs who, after shooting an even par through 18 holes, continued her success into round two. She would shoot a 77 (+6), handling the tough wet conditions on the course. She would sit at even par after playing the first nine holes last night, and early on Friday she stayed right on course. After a bogey on hole 10, she rattled off four straight pars from holes 11 to 14 to sit at +1. However, the wet greens would play a factor the rest of the way. She added five strokes over her final four holes and finished at +6 on the back nine. It would bring her total event score to 148 (+6). She would lead all Mountain East Conference (MEC) competitors in the field, and finished second among her Atlantic Region competition, finishing six strokes behind Seton Hill's Ali Boyle.
The other Cardinal to crack the top 10 was Tilly Jones, who finished tied for 7th with a two-day score of 151 (+9). She also made it through nine holes on day one, and started day two shooting par on seven of her first eight holes. She would only add two strokes through the back nine, and was able to equal Hobbs for the top score in the round. Rounding out the top three for the Cardinals in round two was Brielle Milhoan, who saw a six stroke improvement from round one to round two. After playing just seven holes into the second round and, after a rough start to the round, she was able to notch five pars across her 11 holes, with her biggest improvement coming on the front nine, where she went from a 47 (+12) on day one to a 42 (+7) on day two.
Rounding out the scoring portion of the event was Ivana Alvarez, who shot 87 (+16), who finished out a career-best event that saw her shoot 171 across the two rounds. She would pick up four pars in the final round, dropping her back nine score by two strokes. Dorthea Evebo wrapped up the team portion of the event, shooting an 87 (+16) and picking up her only birdie of the round on hole five. Emma Mrkonja rounded out the day as an individual in the field, and shot 86 (+15) to round out her first collegiate event. It was a birdie on hole 18 that she looks to use as momentum moving forward.
The Wheeling University Women's Golf team returns to the course on Saturday, September 12, when they compete at the Ohio Dominican Invitational.
