Women's Golf 9/27/2023 2:39:00 PM

Women's Golf Comes Out On Top At Johnie Imes Invitational

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Lipscomb Women's Golf came out on top at the Johnie Imes Invitational hosted by Missouri after three solid rounds of play. The Bisons finished at (-4) on the tournament, two strokes ahead of the hosts and runners-up Missouri. In addition, junior Lauren Thompson won the individual championship after carding a 68-71-70 (-7).

Thompson led the Bisons throughout the tournament and sat towards the top of the leaderboard throughout the three rounds. On day one of the competition, Thompson shot a solid 68 and sat in second place. Staying in control of her game, she carded a 71 in the second round and sat tied at second, three strokes off of the lead heading into the final round. While others at the top struggled on day three, Thompson stayed composed and put up a 70 to pull ahead for a two-stroke win over the competition. Thompson led the field in par 3 scoring (2.67) and was second in par 4 scoring (3.93). All told, she carded 35 pars and 13 birdies en route to the victory.

Freshman Zi Yu Foong also had an impressive tournament, finishing tied for third. Foong was solid through the first round of competition with a 72 and 71, sitting in 12^th place heading into the final round. The true freshman jumped nine spots after the final 18 holes after posting a 70 in the final round for a (-3) overall. Foong rolled in 35 pars and 11 birdies. She finished tied for first in the field in par 5 scoring (4.58, -5).

Another top-15 finish for Lipscomb came from Mary Kate Smith who tied for 14^th. Smith finished (+2) on the event after carding a 72-69-77. Smith was top-five in the field in total pars (39) and added eight birdies.

Katya Tibbetts and Danica Badura rounded things out for Lipscomb with 40^th and 56^th place finishes, respectively. Tibbetts turned in a 77-70-79 (+10) while Badura shot a 74-83-76 (+17).

Ally Williams competed in the tournament as an individual for the Bisons and had a solid performance, finishing tied for 22^nd. The graduate student shot a 72 in the first and third rounds with a 76 in the second round for a (+4) on the event.

HEAD COACH SHANNON O'BRIEN
"I'm so proud of the team! Something I love about our roster is that it takes all eight players to get results, and every girl is contributing to the team's success. Each player has continued to accept their opportunities and each are showing great grit, composure and determination. While golf is an individual sport, college golf is a team sport. It's been really cool to see the girls seek to strive together and win together. I'm thrilled for Lauren and her individual championship. Today was a milestone achievement for her, in that she shot her lowest overall score in her career for a 54-hole total, while also finishing each round of 18 under par. It's been great to see our freshmen come in and score. Not only are they awesome young ladies, they are also talented golfers. Both freshmen were able to shoot under par throughout different rounds in the tournament, and Zi had a breakout performance finishing tied for third, shooting -3 overall. As a team, it's always encouraging to have different people go so low, and to then see each team member celebrate and support each other's success is special. We are all thankful for each other and grateful to enjoy the journey together."

HERD NOTES