No. 4 Texas A&M women’s golf ended its final tournament of the fall season on a high note after the Aggies took home first place in The Bear Brawl on Oct. 28. In a single-day battle, the Aggies saw the wind picking up throughout the event, however, they didn’t let it pick up their scores.
Back on bermuda grass, the Maroon and White hit the road for the final time this fall campaign to Ridgewood Golf Club. The Bear Brawl hosted a ten-team field, as A&M ranked at the top of the lineup. No. 15 Baylor had a home-course advantage, while also being the only other ranked team.
In their last outing at the Jim West Challenge, the Aggies’ morning started slow but they woke up during the second 18 of the day and pocketed that momentum into Day 2 as that marked their third tournament title of the season.
As A&M entered its final ride of the fall, all hands were on deck, as it brought a five-member crew along with a trio of individuals.
The squad was led by No.12 junior Cayetana Fernández García-Poggio, with a solid showout in the first round with a 3-under 67. This showcase immediately put her in contention to take home her second individual win of the season.
Right behind her was No. 204 junior Louise Reau, who marked a personal record as an Aggie with her lowest round yet carding a 1-under 69. Keeping the team total to a minimum was No. 82 junior Sky Sudberry, who drew up an even-par round during her morning.
No. 72 freshman Brynn Kort and No. 15 sophomore Vanessa Borovilos posted identical rounds, both shooting 1-over 71. Borovilos’ round was highlighted by an eagle on the 342-yard Hole 11. Finding the same success on the par-4, Kort capped off her 10 consecutive par run with a birdie on Hole 11.
The trio of individuals that all turned in above-par finishes included No. 188 freshman Natalie Yen, senior Kynadie Adams and redshirt junior Mia Nixon.
Yen’s round featured a miraculous eagle on Hole 9. The double circle on the scorecard for the par-5 put her at 3-over 73, while Adams and Nixon struggled with the par 4’s and 5’s totaling three double-bogeys between the pair.
With a five stroke deficit out of the lead, the Aggies sat in the No. 2 spot with a 3-under 277 as the first round came to a close. The Bears capitalized on their home-course advantage as they came out hot, hitting 8-under 272 in the opening round.
As the afternoon round took off, the entire field faced increasing scores with the increasing winds. The Maroon and White used that to their advantage as they kept their swings and scores low and under control.
Turning in the best round for the second side, Kort managed a 1-under 69 with four birdies. She climbed up seven spots and slid right into a tie for fourth, which signified the best round of her fall campaign. Reau shared fourth place with Kort as she turned in a 1-over 71.
García-Poggio held onto a top-three finish with a sole second-place trophy as she turned in an even-par 70 round, totaling a 3-under for the day. She ended the competition just shy of first place by two strokes and only one stroke ahead of third place.
The final two Aggies within the squad tied for ninth place, as Borovilos shot 3-over 73 and Suberry shot 4-over 74. The pair shot well above their scoring average for the season during their second round, both approximately four strokes over.
While competing as an individual, Yen finished among the top Fightin’ Farmers with an even-par 70. She earned a sole-eighth place finish as she turned in a total of 3-over in 36 holes.
Despite playing on its home course, Baylor couldn’t avoid the struggles that a majority of the field faced in a tough second round. The Bears totaled up a 12-over team total for the afternoon round. This lackluster performance resulted in Baylor getting pushed down to second place as the Aggies leapfrogged the Bears by four strokes at the end of the competition.
The Aggies topped off their season with another trophy added to the case as they finished with a 3-under 277 team total. They concluded their fall slate undefeated in stroke play and tied the second-most victories in program history.
The Aggies will make their next appearance after the holidays on Feb. 1 and 2, when they open their spring campaign at the Therese Hession Regional Challenge.
