Michigan State’s Taylor Kehoe was the individual medalist and led the Spartans to the team title in the Carolina Challenge Cup hosted by the University of North Carolina on Saturday at UNC Finley Golf Club.
Kehoe shot rounds of 68-66 to win the 36-hole event at 6-under-par 134. UNC’s Inez Ng (playing as an individual) and MSU’s Paula Balanzategui Garcia tied for second place at 3-under 137.
Ng’s 65 in the first round held up as the low round of the day. There were nine sub-par rounds in the morning and only four in the afternoon. Kehoe and Wingate’s Amely Bochaton, who shot 69-69 and finished fourth at 2-under 138, were the only two players in the field of 71 to break par in both rounds.
The Spartans won the team title with matching rounds of 4-under 276 for a 36-hole total of 8-under 552.
Carolina led after the opening round (5-under 275) and placed second at 2-over 562.
UNCW was third at 18 over par, Wingate, the top-ranked Division II team in the country, was fourth at 20 over and UNCG was fifth at plus 33.
Four Tar Heels joined Ng in the top 10. Marie Prats-Rigual (68-72) was seventh at even-par 140, Reagan Southerland (68-73) and Helen Yeung (68-73) tied for eighth at 1-over 141 and Grace Ridenour (73-69) tied for 10th at 2-over 142.
Ridenour’s 1-under 69 led UNC in the second round.
The Tar Heels return to action April 16 in the ACC Championship at Porters Neck Country Club in Wilmington.
