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PAWLEYS ISLAND, S.C. — The High Point University women’s golf team used a strong final round, shooting 8-under 276 to rise up the leaderboard and finish second at the Golfweek Fall Challenge, which concluded Tuesday afternoon, at the Caledonia Golf & Fish Club.
The Panthers finished ahead of the likes of Boise State, Cincinnati, Coastal Carolina, Campbell, App State, UNC Greensboro, Coastal Carolina, East Carolina and amongst many others in a 20-team field.
Anna Howerton, the reigning Big South Conference Golfer of the Year, finished T4 to jumpstart her junior year, while freshman MaKayla Grubb began her collegiate career with a T13 placement to lead the Panthers.
Head Coach Lyndsey Hunnell: “All I feel right now is excitement. I knew we were going to have a solid team this year. I anticipated there would be an adjustment period for them with two freshmen in the lineup. But they quickly got the hang of everything and were big players for us this week. Makayla and Eva are going to be huge assets to this team and they’re only going to get better with experience! Eva played so steady throughout this event, I loved watching her game and demeanor. Makayla can go low, and she knows her game well to know what she’s capable of. Our returners brought the experience to this event. They played steady and didn’t let bad holes get to them because they knew how many opportunities there were out there. Ella had a great final round at this event as our senior, she grinded throughout her round to get under par. Anna’s game continues to grow each year. Her mental game has come a long way which has kept her grounded through any obstacles she faces on the course.”
Site: Pawleys Island, S.C.
Course: Caledonia Golf & Fish Club
Par/Yardage: 71/6075
HPU Top Finisher: Anna Howerton (T4) — 71, 72, 68 (211) -2
HPU Team Finish: 2 of 20 teams — 290, 290, 276 (856) +4
Panther Placement:
T4 Anna Howerton -2 (71, 72, 68) 211
T13 Makayla Grubb +1 (76, 71, 67) 214
20 Ella Perna +3 (72, 75, 69) 216
T21 Eva Lye +4 (72, 72, 73) 217
T50 Anais Arafi +9 (75, 75, 72)
The Panthers entered the final round in fifth place and quickly moved up the leaderboard thanks to solid play from a trio of players — Howerton, Grubb, and Perna — as all shot under par.
Howerton’s 3-under-par 68 round three powered her 2-under finish to pair with rounds of 71 and 72, respectively, to sit in the top four. The freshman Grubb improved in each round, shooting 76 on Sunday followed by an even-par 71 and a team-best 4-under-par 67 over the final 18 to snag her first top-13 finish. Howerton and Grubb led the Panthers with 11 birdies apiece.
Alike her teammates, Perna saved her best round for last as she carded a 2-under-par 69 on Tuesday after rounds of 72 and 75 for a top-20 finish. Perna sunk a team-second best 10 birdies.
In her first collegiate tournament, freshman Lye posted a pair of 72 rounds, along with a final-round 73 to secure a top-21 finish. She had eight birdies while Arafri had nine. The sophomore Arafri’s best round was a 1-over-par 72 in round three after she posted a pair of 75s for a top-50 placement.
Up Next: The Panthers head to the Lady Paladin Invitational Friday, Sept. 19 through Sunday, Sept. 21 in Greenville, S.C.
#GoHPU
