Earlier this week the Lady Bucs headed to Greenville, N.C. to play in the newly sponsored Taco Bell Intercollegiate. This was be East Carolina’s fifth year to host the tournament.
The Lady Bucs are coming off a great week last week when the team captured the Gamecock Classic, eight strokes ahead of runner up Jacksonville State. On the individual level, junior Ashley Barton was able to tie for first before losing in the playoff.
East Carolina comes as a highly probable winner. East Carolina is a three-time winner of the tournament, while Mississippi State stole the title last year from East Carolina by one stroke. Line Cordes of Coastal Carolina and fellow teammate Natalie Cruse comes in as the highest ranked players. Barton comes to the tournament ranked 69 to round out the top 3 players.
The University of Maryland led the first round of the tournament. Maryland finished up the first round by shooting a 294, six over par, one stroke ahead of East Carolina. The Lady Bucs finished the first half of Monday’s play in fifth with a 303, 15 over par.
In the second round, Augusta State surged forward in to first shooting a new course record, 287, one under par in the second round. The Lady Bucs also made great improvements in the second round, shooting a program record for, breaking the single round record set at this same tournament last year of 299. In round two, the Lady Bucs shot a 293 moving up into a tie for fourth with Maryland.
“I think getting a second chance to look at the golf course on the same day helped us in the second round,” said ETSU head coach Stefanie Reynolds. “Everyone on our team played better in the second round and that showed with five scores in the 70s. It was a good second round, but this is a tough tournament and tomorrow will be tough again.”
In the first round the Lady Bucs had great leadership by freshman standout Maria Ringdahl. Ringdahl shot a one over, 73, in the first round to tie at ninth. In the second round Ringdahl shot the second lowest score of the round at 71 to finish Monday tied at fourth in even par for the tournament.
Senior Danielle O’Riely also helped lead the team in round one with a three-over-par 75. Unfortunately O’Riely finished Monday’s second round with a 78, five over, to fall out of the top 20 into a tie for 37th.
Barton, who is coming off her second place finish at last week’s Gamecock Classic, was able to finish second on the team this week.
Barton finished Monday’s rounds five over par and tied for 19th. After struggling in the first round with a five over par, Barton was able to get one of the lowest scores of the tournament in the second round of even-par 72.
The rest of the team was led by freshman Natalia Giraldo who finished the first round with a disappointing 78, but made great improvements in the second round scoring a one over 73. With the combined scores Giraldo was able to finish the first two rounds tied for 28th.
Meanwhile junior Kailey Brooks finishing tied for 68th playing Monday as an individual. Brooks finished up 17 over par Monday after shooting an 11 over in the first round followed by a sixover 78 in the second round.
The Lady Bucs opened up round three 12 strokes behind leader Augusta State. Augusta State though did not slow down after their record setting second round.
In the third round Augusta State fired another record for a single round team score.

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