SIMI VALLEY, Calif. – With a tournament-low 310 in Tuesday's final round, the Santa Clara women's golf team led from start to finish capturing the title at the third annual Matador Invitational, completed today at the 5,839-yard Wood Ranch Golf Club.
Santa Clara's three-round total of 945 was nine shots better than runner-up Morehead State. Windy conditions led to elevated scores, but the Broncos were able to chop strokes off their team total in each round to claim their second team title this year and seventh under head coach Krystal Kelly. Santa Clara won its own Colby Invitational back in October.
"The course was playing extremely difficult," Kelly said. "We had to contend with 25-30 MPH winds in all three rounds."
First-round leader Kristin Le and senior Monique Riley were the highest individual finishers for the Broncos, placing in a tie for fifth-place at 18-over 234. They ended up two strokes behind USC's Amy Lee and Morehead State's Anna Magnusson. Magnusson won medalist honors by a scorecard playoff.
"No matter how difficult the conditions, the girls had a very positive attitude and played their best. I'm very proud of them. They played with heart," Kelly added.
Sophomore Isabella Salant shot a tournament-low round of 1-over 73 on Tuesday to earn a ninth-place tie with a total of 239.
Junior Annie Freman and freshman Cynthia Navis rounded out Santa Clara's top-20 finishers in the 64-player field. Freman tied for 11th with a 240 and Navis scored a 3-over 75 today to climb into a tie for 15th.
Santa Clara Final Individual Results
T5. Kristin Le 76-82-76 = 234 (+18)
T5. Monique Riley 79-76-79 = 234 (+18)
T11. Annie Freman 83-77-80 = 240 (+24)
T15. Cynthia Navis 85-81-75 = 241 (+25)
T48. Ashley Noda 81-88-91 = 260 (+44)
Individuals
T9. Isabella Salant 81-85-73 = 239 (+23)
T30. Meghan Shain 82-86-81 = 249 (+33)
T48. Kyleigh Moreno 88-85-87 = 260 (+44)
