KEVIN JENISON
GoSycamores.com
GULF SHORES, ALA. ? Indiana State's Kayley Bodine had her best finish of the fall season, her second top 10 finish and was selected to the All-Tournament team as the Sycamores wrapped up their fall season with a fifth place finish in the UAB Fall Beach Bash on Tuesday.
Breanne Smith posted her fourth top 10 of the season and Diana Price had her best showing of the season as the Sycamores finished jut three shots out of third place in the team race.
“I am pretty pleased with the round we had today to wrap up our fall season,” Mike Whitson, Indiana State golf coach said. “Today's round was kind of opposite of Monday's. We got off to a bad start and fought through it all day long, finishing well.
“I am proud of Kayley making the All-Tournament team,” Whitson said. “It was another good showing for her and Breanne played well again, as she always does. What a day for Diana Price with a career low round of 76. I think that she became a better player with today's play.”
The Sycamores started Tuesday's round in fourth place after an opening round of 308. Indiana State came back with a 312 total on Tuesday and finished in a tie for fifth out of the 14 teams in competition, completing the tournament with a 620.
The two rounds were the third and fourth best of the fall season for ISU and the 620 total is the second best 36 hole round of the fall.
Bodine began Tuesday's round in a tie for third with teammate Smith, each shooting 73 on Monday. Bodine came back with a 76 on Tuesday to finish in a tie for fifth with a 149 total. Smith came back from a shaking start to finish with a 77 Tuesday, tying for seventh with a 150 total.
Bodine, starting on the fourth hole, birdied the sixth to get back to even par for the tournament but gave that shot back with a bogey on the seventh. Bodine picked up another birdie on the 17th but had six bogies on the round to finish at four over 76. The 149 total ties Bodine's low 36 hole total for the fall and the fifth place finish was her best of the season. The Sycamore junior also shot a 149 at the Cardinal Classic where she finished in a tie for eighth.
Smith, who also started on the fourth hole, battled back after taking a triple bogie on the par-four 10th with three birdies in her final nine holes to finish with a five over 77. The 150 total was her second best 36-hole total of the fall season.
Diana Price had her best finish of the fall in tying for 30th with a 158 total. Price started the day in a tie for 47th after an opening round of 82. Price, starting on the sixth hole, bogied the seventh and double bogied the eighth but fought back with a pair of birdies and three bogies to finish with her lowest round of the fall at four over 76, which also shared the low round of the day for ISU with Bodine.
Mackenzie Mack and Kelsea Ice finished in a tie for 55th, both posting 165 totals for the tournament. Mack fired an 83 on Tuesday after an opening round 82 while Ice shot an 85 Tuesday after an opening round of 80 on Monday.
Stevy Loy of Columbia University took medalist honors with a two under par 142. Lorrie Warren of Belmont and Christina Wentworth of UAB tied for second at one over par 145 while Sara Hunt of Samford, the first round leader, finished fourth at five over 148. All four were on the All-Tournament team along with Bodine and Jacksonville State's Laura Cutler, who tied Bodine with a 149 total.
Columbia University took the team title with a 597 total while Samford was second at 603, Jacksonville State third at 618 and Southern Mississippi fourth at 619. Indiana State and Cincinnati tied for fifth at 620.
The 396 yard 10th hole was rated the hardest hole on the course Tuesday with an average of 1.49 strokes over par and was the second toughest on Monday at an average of 0.80 strokes over par.
This UAB Fall Beach Blast was played on the 5,945 yard, par-72 course at The Peninsula Golf & Racquet Club in Gulf Shores, Ala
“We finished the fall season on a high note and now we enter the off-season,” Whitson said. “It was a lot of hard work for the players this fall but there is more hard work to do in the off-season to get ready for the spring season.”
The Sycamores will resume action with the Ann Rhodes Shootout at Calera, Ala., February 23-24, 2009.
