No. 7 Texas A&M women’s golf tee’d up for its spring season opener at the Therese Hession Regional Challenge in Palos Verdes Estates, California. The Aggies put up a fight until the last sinking putt as they claimed a third-place finish in the final round.
The three-day, 54-hole tournament possessed a competitive pool of 16 teams, as four other squads entering the contest stood among the top-10 in national rank alongside the Aggies.
Opening day held high hopes for the Maroon and White to stick to their victorious streak they started in the fall. Before entering the offseason, they accomplished two consecutive first-place titles and had yet to hold a place other than first in any stroke-play tournament.
Round 1 witnessed two Aggies enter the clubhouse under par, No. 75 freshman Brynn Kort and No. 28 sophomore Vanessa Borovilos who both managed their way around the par-71 course. Kort with similar nines went 34 on the front and back nines ending her day with a 3-under, 68. Borovilos carded three consecutive birdies on the back nine to contribute to her 2-under, 69.
A&M sat in a comfortable second place with a four-stroke lead ahead of No. 9 Pepperdine and No. 11 Texas, who both sat at 6-over. Ahead of the pack, No. 23 UCLA broke early from the group and claimed the top of the leaderboard, standing as the lone team with a team total under par on Day 1.
But as tee times began on Day 2, the Fightin’ Farmers saw a change of pace. No. 132 junior Louise Reau took lead of the squad with a 2-under, 69 that marked her as the sole Aggie to break par during the second round. Her scorecard from Day 1 held her back, as she shot a 7-over, 78 that left her chasing the middle of the leaderboard.
Supporting swings throughout Round 2 came from No. 194 freshman Natalie Yen, Borovilos and Kort. All within a stroke of the other, the trio all shot above par with a 73, 74 and 75, respectively.
Dropping back two spots by the end of Day 2, the Aggies shot a 7-over team total that put them in an unaccompanied fourth place, with only 18 holes between them and any shot they had at first place.
The final day cemented UCLA firmly in the top spot, but A&M — who opened the day only one stroke from a top-three finish — slowly crept up all day.
No. 106 junior Sky Sudberry and Kort both ended in a draw at a 2-under, 69 for Day 3. Kort, with the best tournament performance among the Fightin’ Farmers, drew up a tie for sixth place, next to No. 43 Florida sophomore Siuue Wu, both ending the tournament at 1-under. Borovilos, the next top performer for the Aggies, finished right inside the top-10 with a 1-over three-day total, securing a three-way tie for ninth.
The Maroon and White concluded the tournament coming in the clubhouse with their best round, turning in an even-par team total for Round 3.
No. 6 Florida, who held the runner-up spot at the end Day 2, handled a 6-over team score, which punished the Gators to a two-spot drop. The Longhorns jumped a spot in the final day to claim a second-place finish, six strokes ahead of the Aggies. But with a gap at the top of the leaderboard, the Aggies wiggled their way in for a third-place finish with their 9-over team total.
A&M will now travel to the opposite coast to compete at the three-day Moon Golf Invitational in Melbourne, Florida, on Feb. 15-17.
