Blount, UCA earn ‘Showdown’ points over LR at Diamante
HOT SPRINGS VILLAGE — The Central Arkansas women’s golf team fired a final-round 291 on Tuesday to grab the title at the Little Rock Women’s Golf Classic at the Diamante Country Club.
Central Arkansas had the lowest round of the day by six strokes. The Bears vaulted from sixth place to the championship, their second in four years at the tournament and a fourth consecutive top-two finish at the event.
Senior Emma Svensson medaled at the
2015 tournament and was the catalyst for the team this week. She shot a 4-under 68 on Tuesday to finish fifth overall at 219, 73-78-68. Svensson, from Halmstad, Sweden, had six birdies and two bogeys in the final round.
Freshman Tania Nunez tied for 13th place with rounds of 79-74-71 for a 224 total, while fellow freshman Elin Kulin tied for 16th at
227, 76-77-74. Freshman Karley Whittington shot a 75-74-80 229 and tied for 23rd, while senior Sally Fridstrom shot 237, 80-79-78, and tied for 55th.
Also tied for 55th was freshman Gracen Blount, a graduate of Lakeside. Blount shot a 74 in the first round, 82 on Monday and 81 on Tuesday.
Central Arkansas finished the first day tied for fourth overall with Missouri State at
15-over-par 303 on the par-72 course. UT-El Paso and South Alabama were tied for the lead with team scores of 297. Lamar was in third place at 299.
Western Kentucky surged into a tie for first place with a 1-over 289 on the second day. Missouri State was also in a tie atop the leaderboard at 21-over 597.
Central Arkansas entered the final day nine strokes back in sixth place at 30-over
606, but the Bears took the title with a team score of 897. Missouri State finished second at 900, followed by UTEP, 902; Western Kentucky, 904; Lamar, 907; South Alabama, 909; Utah Valley, 913; and Missouri-Kansas City,
920.
Little Rock finished ninth in the 16-team field with a team score of 925. The Trojans were followed in the standings by Houston
Baptist, 925; Louisiana-Monroe, 927; Northern Iowa, 931; UT-Arlington, 933; Arkansas State, 943; Stephen F. Austin, 956; and McNeese State, 975.
Central Arkansas picked up two points in the Governor’s I-40 Showdown by finishing ahead of Little Rock. The Bears now lead the yearlong competition, 14.5-3.5.
The tournament ended the fall season for both teams. Blount and Central Arkansas will next tee off in February at the Gold Rush tournament hosted by Long Beach State in Seal Beach, Calif.