CHARLESTON, S.C., MARCH 24, 2015 – After darkness ended the first day of play before the first two rounds could end Monday at the Golf Club at Briar's Creek, the USF women's golf team came out with a strong finish to the Briar's Creek Invitational.
The Bulls finished their second round of the par-72, 6,101-yard course strong, getting three consecutive birdies from sophomore Nicole Autrique and a pair out of freshman Giana Gonzalez to shave 10 strokes off their first-round score of 309.
USF carried that pace into the final round as well Tuesday, shaving another seven strokes to shoot 292 as a team, finishing the tournament at an even 900 – finishing ninth in a tough field of 17, just four strokes behind No. 35 Kent State for sixth and five strokes out of fifth.
Redshirt freshman Maria Rodriguez roasted the course in the third round after putting up a 74 (+2) and 76 (+4) in the first two rounds of play. Rodriguez bogeyed just one hole in the third while knocking down five birdies – three on the back nine – en route to a team-low round of 68 (-4). The effort vaulted Rodriguez into a tie for eighth place individually, with a final score of 218 (+2).
Sophomore Ashley Burke wasn't far behind, finishing in a tie for 14th at 220 (+4). Burke played consistently well throughout the tourney, carding a 74 (+2) in each of the first two rounds. She did two better in the third, carding par-5 birdies on seven and 18 to register a 72 (E) in the final round of play.
Grabbing a 74 (+2) in the second round with an incredible final three holes, Autrique continued her strong play with two birdies on the back nine, where she started for the final round. Shooting one under par on the back nine, Autrique ran into slight trouble late Tuesday with three consecutive bogeys, but finished well with a 75 (+3) to record a three-round score of 228 (+12).
The final golfer to have all three scores count for the Bulls, Gonzalez made a big splash into the lineup in the second round. The freshman posted three of her seven birdies during a 75-stroke second round, and followed with three more in the third, shooting 77 (+5) for USF's final counting score. Gonzalez registered a 54-hole total of 234 (+18).
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