Athenas Top Talented Field, Claim Jekyll Island Invitational
JEKYLL ISLAND, Ga. – The No. 4 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps women's golf team held off charges from No. 1 New York University and No. 12 Methodist on Sunday to win the Jekyll Island Invitational by five shots over a field of 23 teams that featured 17 of the top 35 teams in the country. The Athenas shot a 310 (+22) on Sunday to finish the three-day tournament with 913 strokes (+49). CMS finished five shots ahead of second-place NYU to finish on top of a talented and deep field.
Margaret Loncki (CMC) led the Athenas on the weekend with a second-place finish in the individual standings. Loncki shot three-over across the three rounds, including a one-over, 73 in the final round to finish firmly in second-place. In addition to Loncki's second-place finish, Emma Kang and Mira Yoo also finished in the top-20. Kang tied for eighth-place at 12-over and Yoo tied for 18th at 16-over.
Day Three – CMS wins (302-303-310--913, +49)
Just as she did all weekend, Loncki led the way for CMS on Sunday. The senior carded a birdie on the par-four fifth and made two bogies on the back nine for her one-over, 73. Emma Kang, who finished tied for eighth-place, turned in the second-best round of the day for CMS. She fired a five-over, 77 with one birdie and a half dozen bogies.
Mira Yoo (CMC) was just a stroke behind Kang with a 78 (+6) on the day. Yoo made a pair of birdies on a strong back nine. After going out in 41 (+5), Yoo carded a 37 (+1) on the back-nine by birding the par-four, 11th and par-five, 17th. She finished the tournament in a tie for 18th with Christopher Newport's Erica Whitehouse at +16.
Kelly Ransom (CMC) and Taylor Hughes (CMC) both turned in rounds of 82 (+10) on Sunday. Ransom finished the weekend tied for 33rd at +21, while Hughes finished at +26 in a tie for 46th.
While the Athenas led at the end of every round this weekend, Methodist held sole possession of the lead during the back nine on Sunday. Methodist held a four-stroke lead, but the Monarch's struggled down the stretch and finished in third (922, +58). No. 1 New York University finished in second-place, five shots behind the Athenas at (918, +54).
Day Two – Athenas in First of 23 (302-303--603, +27)
The Athenas continue to lead the Jekyll Island Women's Collegiate Invitational after shooting a 13-over, 301 on Saturday. Taking on a field of 23 teams that features 17 of the top 35 teams in the country, the Athenas sit atop the leaderboard with a two-day total of 603 (+27). The Athenas bested their Friday score (302) by a stroke on Saturday, shooting a 301 (+13) and now are 11 shots clear of the second-place No. 17 Whitman College Blues (614, +18).
In the individual standings, Margaret Loncki (CMC) followed up her Round One, 72 (E) with a two-over, 74 on Saturday. Loncki still sits in second-place, between a pair of Whitman golfers. Phoebe Nguyen is on top of the leaderboard with a two-day total of 139 (-5) to lead the tournament by seven shots.
Loncki made back-to-back birdies on the third and fourth holes, but gave a shot back with a bogey on the sixth hole. She carded a one-under 35 on the front before shooting a 39 (+3) on the back for a Saturday total of 74 (+2). Loncki was consistent on the day with 12 pars on the card to go along with her two birdies.
Emma Kang (CMC) tied Loncki in the second round with a two-over, 74. Kang's 74 felt nearly identical to Loncki's, as she shot one-under on the front before carding a three-over 39 on the back. Kang also put a pair of red numbers on the card, birdying the par-four fourth and the 447-yard, par-five 17th. After two rounds, Kang is tied for fifth at +7 (151).
Neither Kelly Ransom (CMC) nor Taylor Hughes (CMC) put a birdie on their card on Saturday, but both posted solid rounds for the Athenas. Hughes fired the third-lowest round for CMS with a four-over, 76 in Round Two. She shot a four-over, 40 on the front before making nine-straight pars to end her round with an even-par, 36 on the back. Hughes made the biggest improvement for the Athenas from Friday to Saturday, dropping eight strokes.
Ransom shot a 77 (+5) on Day Two and was extremely consistent, carding 13 pars and five bogies. She went out in 38 (+2) and came home in 39 (+3) to improve her score by one stroke from her round on Friday. After two rounds, Ransom sits in a tie for 18th-place at +11 (155).
Mira Yoo (CMC) is one shot ahead of Ransom in the overall individual standings after a seven-over, 79 on Saturday. Yoo shot a six-over 42 on the front nine, before rebounding nicely on the back for a one-over 37 to finish the day with a 79. Yoo is in a tie for 15th-place at +10 with 154 strokes across Friday and Saturday.
The Athenas will look to hold on to their 11-stroke lead heading into the final round on Sunday.
Day One – Athenas in First of 23 (302, +14)
The Athenas shot an opening round 302 (+14) to sit on top of the leaderboard at the Jekyll Island Women's Collegiate Invitational after the First Round. Their score of 14-over puts the Athenas six shots clear of the No. 17 Whitman Blues, who sit in second-place after a score of 308 (+20) on the first day
On the individual leaderboard, the Athenas have three names in the top 15. Margaret Loncki (CMC) sits just one-shot off the lead after firing an even-par 72 in the opening round. She is behind Whitman's Phoebe Nguyen and her one-under round of 71.
Also in the top-15 individuals are the Athenas Mira Yoo (CMC) and Emma Kang (CMC). Yoo sits four shots off the lead after an opening round 75 (+3) while Kang is just two shots further back, carding a 77 (+5) on Day One.
As a team, the Athenas turned in 12 birdies on the day, the second most of any team in the field. No. 1 New York University carded 14 birdies in the round to lead all teams, but they are tied for fourth after an opening round, 310 (+22). Loncki, Yoo, and Kang each put three birdies on the card in their opening rounds. Kelly Ransom (CMC), who shot a Day One 78 (+6) recorded two birdies while Taylor Hughes (CMC) put one birdie on the card on the par three 12th hole. Hughes rounded out the Athenas effort with an 84 (+12).
Round Two of the three-day tournament coming up on Saturday with play concluding on Sunday.