Team Results | Individual Results
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Illinois Women's Golf finished in a tie for second at the 2016 Mercedes-Benz Collegiate Championship in Knoxville, Tennessee. The Fighting Illini recorded a 278-285-292 for a final score of 855 (+3). The second place tie marks the best finish for Illinois since winning the 2014 Diane Thomason Invitational, and the Illini's three-over-par score is the third-lowest 54-hole tournament score in program history.
"The first round was terrific," head coach Renee Slone said. "The second round was solid, but we were not as sharp today."
After the Illini led all 15 teams in the first two rounds of the tournament, No. 7 Florida won the event with a two-under-par showing. Kent State, last year's champion, tied Illinois for second. In fourth place was BYU with a score of 12-over par, Maryland tied with host and No. 23 Tennessee at +13 to round out the top five. Following Maryland and Tennessee were SMU (+17) in seventh, No. 28 North Carolina (+20) in eighth, Chattanooga in ninth (+22) and Ole Miss and No. 13 Wake Forest in a tie for 10th (+27). Completing the tournament field were Middle Tennessee (+47), UTSA (+50), Memphis (+52) and Virginia Tech (+62).
In the final round of play at the Cherokee Country Club (Par 71, 5897 yards), sophomore Bing Singhsumalee climbed two spots on the leaderboard to tie for eighth with a final scorecard reading of 67-76-71 (+1). Her -4 in the first round ties the seventh-lowest single round score in program history, the and is the third time Singhsumalee's name has appeared on that list.
Tristyn Nowlin finished tied for 16th after recording a three-over par score following rounds of 67-76-73. The freshman, playing in her first collegiate tournament, equaled Singhsumalee's seventh-lowest single round score in program history with her 67 (-4) first round. Fellow rookie Swing Liu recorded rounds of 78-68-73 (+6), tying for 29th and carding eight birdies in the process.
"It was a very strong debut for the freshmen," Slone said. "It was a brand next experience for them, and they responded extremely well. There will be more great things to come from them."
Stephanie Miller led the Illini in the second round of play, finished with a +6 score, and tied for 29th along with Liu. The senior turned in a first round score of 71, a round two score of 67, and a score of 81 in the final round. Miller's four-under-par in the second round matches the feat by Nowlin and Singhsumalee for seventh-lowest single round score in team history, and Miller's 10 total birdies tied for the team lead with Singhsumalee as well.
Junior Chayanid Prapassarangkul tied for 38th with a 221 (+9) showing. Prapassarangkul carded rounds of 73-74-75, recording eight birdies during the tournament. Overall, the Illini led all teams with 45 birdies.
"It was a strong start to the season," Slone said. "We put ourselves in contention. We weren't as sharp today, but we were still right on the thick of it. Next time around, we will be even more prepared and we will have a better result."
NEXT UP
The Illini get a short break before heading to Greenville, South Carolina, for the Lady Paladin Invitational on Sept. 23-25.
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