March 1, 2011

MOBILE, Ala. - The Samford University women's golf team opened its 2011 spring season in brilliant fashion this week as the Bulldogs earned the championship title of the USA Lady Jaguar Invitational held at the Azalea City Golf Course. In Tuesday's final round, Samford secured its first-place finish with a team score of 306.

The Bulldogs closed out the two-day, 54-hole competition with a final score of 914 (300-308-306). The homestanding South Alabama Lady Jaguars and Southern Miss both finished tied for second place with identical three-round totals of 916.

Southern Miss carded a team score of 301 on Tuesday, the best round of the day's competition, but still finished two shots behind Samford for the first-place position. The Bulldogs registered the best round of the tournament as they opened the competition with a first-round total of 300.

Individually, Samford finished with four players ranked in the top 10. True freshman Natalie Mitchell concluded the tournament tied for fourth place in the individual standings as she posted a three-round score of 227 (73-79-75). The Bulldogs' Sarah Butts and Kayla Turner both finished the competition tied for eighth place with identical scores of 230.

Butts, Samford's junior from Carrollton, Ga., carded a third-round score of 76 on Tuesday, while Turner posted a final-round mark of 77 at the Azalea City Golf Course.

Sophomore Anna Heim, the Bulldogs' talented native of Lafayette, La., finished the 2011 USA Lady Jaguar Invitational tied for 10th place in the individual standings with a three-round total of 231 (75-78-78).

The Bulldogs' true freshman Savannah Schubert carded a 54-hole score of 237 (80-78-79). A native of Oak Ridge, Tenn., Schubert finished in a tie for 28th place at the two-day competition.

South Alabama's Kristen Golightly and Ashleigh Ryals placed first and second in the individual standings. Golightly earned a four-stroke victory with a three-round total of 222 (73-74-75), while Ryals finished tied for second place along with Morehead State's Paige Lausier at 226.

The Samford University women's golf team will next be in action March 14-15 as the Bulldogs play host to the annual Samford Invitational to be held at the Limestone Springs Golf Club located in Oneonta, Ala.

Complete Results - USA Lady Jaguar Invitational