No. 17 Texas A&M women’s golf traveled to Superstition Mountain, Arizona, to compete in the Match in the Desert tournament, hosted by No. 7 Arizona State. The event featured a competitive field, including No. 24 Kansas, No. 7 Arizona State, No. 33 Purdue, San José State, Baylor and Eastern Michigan.
The Aggies finished third, just five strokes behind Kansas, who secured the team title with a score of 290 over 18 holes. Kansas was led by senior Lily Hirst, who claimed individual honors with a 3-under-par (-3) performance.
A&M coach Gerrod Chadwell’s lineup for this tournament included the likes of junior Kynadie Adams, freshman Vanessa Borovilos, sophomore Cayetana Fernández García-Poggio, sophomore Sky Sudberry, junior Mia Nixon and senior Lauren Nguyen .
A&M’s Adams was the standout performer for the Aggies, delivering a thrilling finish to secure runner-up honors. Despite a mid-round slump, the junior staged a remarkable comeback, carding three birdies and two eagles over the final four holes for a 2-under 70 finish in the tournament.
Adams opened strong, sitting at -2 through seven holes, but a rough stretch from holes eight to 12 saw her drop five consecutive bogeys, pushing her down the leaderboard. However, she responded in spectacular fashion, catching fire down the stretch and nearly catching Hirst for the individual title.
Her late surge not only secured second place but also put the Maroon and White in contention, closing the gap on Kansas and Arizona State.
In addition to Adams’ thrilling runner-up finish, Vanessa Borovilos finished tied for eighth place at 1-over 73, delivering a steady round that helped keep the Aggies in contention.
García-Poggio, the Madrid, Spain native, had an uncharacteristic outing, finishing tied for 20th at 4-over 76 alongside four others. While it wasn’t her strongest performance, the sophomore standout still contributed crucial strokes that helped keep the Aggies in the hunt for a top-three finish.
The upperclassmen duo of Nguyen and Nixon rounded out the lineup, though both struggled to find their rhythm. Nguyen finished 37th at +7, while Nixon placed 42nd at +9. Despite a tough outing, both veterans will look to regain their form and bounce back in the next tournament.
A&M’s combined score of 7-over 295 secured a third-place finish, just five strokes behind Kansas, which captured the tournament title at 2-over 290. Arizona State, the tournament host, placed second with a score of 5-over 293, edging out the Aggies by just two shots. The event featured several ranked programs, making the Aggies’ performance even more impressive.
With the Moon Golf Invitational in Melbourne, Florida, set to begin on February 18, Texas A&M looks to build on this strong performance and carry momentum into a crucial spring season.
