BOCA RATON, Fla. – Oklahoma women’s golf closed out its spring-opening Paradise Invitational on Wednesday with a fifth-place finish at Osprey Point Golf Club.
The Sooners (5, +5) placed three golfers inside the top 30 and were led by Gracie Mayo, who tied for 11th individually.
After opening the 54-hole event with a 16-over 304 on Monday to sit 10th, Oklahoma surged up the leaderboard with the second-lowest total over the final two rounds. The Sooners fired an 8-under 280 on Tuesday and followed with a 3-under 285 in Wednesday’s final round at the par-72 track to climb to fifth in the 16-team field. OU’s second-round 8-under 280 was tied for the team’s lowest round vs. Par this season.
“I was proud of our play over the last two days,” head coach Veronique Drouin-Luttrell said. “We didn’t start how we wanted, but we competed and battled over the final 36 holes to get fifth, and this is a good starting point for us this spring.”
Mayo (T11, -1) was OU’s lone golfer under par, carding rounds of 75-71-69 to tie for 11th and secure her third top-20 finish of the season and seventh of her career. The Newport, Wales, product eagled the opening hole of her final round on the way to her fourth round in the 60s this season.
Savannah Barber (T22, +2) finished just outside the top 20 with rounds of 75-71-72. The senior now owns 47 career rounds of par or better, good for fifth in program history.
Audrey Rischer posted Oklahoma’s low round of the week with a 5-under 67 in Tuesday’s second round but finished 28th at 4-over after rounds of 77 and 76. Her 67 matched Meg Tilma for OU’s lowest round vs. Par on the campaign.
MaKayla Tyrrell tied for 33rd at 5-over, while OU’s true freshmen rounded out the lineup in a tie for 48th at 9-over.
No. 24 Tennessee won the team title at 10-under, followed by Kentucky at 6-under. Clemson (-3) and Georgia (+4) also finished ahead of the Sooners.
Oklahoma has now finished inside the top five in 10 of its last 11 regular-season events dating back to last season.
The Sooners continue spring play at the Spartan Sun Coast Invitational (Feb. 15-16) at Palm Aire Country Club in Sarasota, Fla.
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