Texas State Women's Golf Wins Sir Pizza Cards Challenge
WESTON, Fla.- The Texas State women's golf team saved its best effort for Tuesday's final round as the Bobcats fired a team score of 294 to overcome a three-shot deficit and win the Sir Pizza Cards Challenge that was hosted by Louisville on the par-72, 6211-yard course at the Weston Hills Country Club.
The Bobcats entered the final round tied for fourth place behind Florida International, Miami (Fla.) and Memphis before posting the lowest team score in the third round to finish the tournament with a three-round total of 902 as a team.
"I am very proud of the way we fought back today for our second win in a row," said head coach Mike Akers. "There were some very good teams at this event and we are continuing to show that we are a national contender. It was also a special day because we wore pink shirts to support breast cancer awareness. They also fit in with the Miami theme here at the tournament."
Florida International and Memphis posted team scores of 301 in the final round and finished tournament in second and third place, respectively. FIU had a three-day total of 906, while Memphis was two strokes back with a score of 908. The host school, Louisville, finished in fourth place with a total of 909.
Mara Puisite was Texas State's top individual player in the final round as she shot a 2-under-par 70 in the third round and finished the tournament tied for 12th place with 10-over par. Puisite had a three-day total of 226 to tie Laverry Kumar of UNC-Wilmington and Maria Ronderos of Miami.
Texas State's top individual finisher in the tournament was senior Caitlin Bliss, who shot a 1-over 73 in the final round to finish the tournament in seventh place at 6-over-par with a three-round total of 222. Bliss tied Katy Nugent of Kansas for seventh.
"Mara and Caitlin really stepped up today," added Akers. "Mara hit 16 greens in regulation and fired her lowest collegiate round."
Puisite's older sister, Krista, finished the final round with a 2-over-par total of 74 and tied five other players for 21st place in the tournament with at +13. Puisite had a three-round total of 229 to tie Anna Carling of Arkansas State, Anna Karin Ljungstrom and Candice Wiley of Louisville, Cristina Marin of FIU and Julia Hodgson of Memphis.
In addition, Valdis Jonsdottir shot a five-over 77 in the final round and finished in a four-way tie for 15th place at +11. Jonsdottir tied Brooks Baker of North Carolina State, Katie Mundy of FIU and Sian Evans of East Tennessee State.
East Tennessee State's Nina Muehl and Shena Yang of South Florida tied for individual championship honors with a 4-under par total of 212. Muehl posted the best third-round individual score of -4 (68) in the final round to overtake Yang, who shot a 2-under 70 in first and third rounds.
The victory marked the second straight tournament in which the Bobcats have won this spring after winning the Claud Jacobs Invitational for the third straight year on Feb. 13-14. Texas State returns to action on March 21-22 when the Bobcats travel to St. George, Utah and compete in BYU's Entrada Classic.