PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. — Freshman Paula Neira Garcia fired a 2-under 69 in Wednesday’s final round of the Stanford Intercollegiate, to climb 17 spots on the individual leaderboard and finish tied for 12th individually.
“It was a great round of golf by Paula,” head coach Josh Brewer said. “It was one of just five rounds in the 60s for the entire field. She actually struck it probably as well anyone I’ve seen since I’ve been at Georgia, which is saying a lot considering the players we’ve had. If she makes a few more putts, it would have been a round for the record books. She showed why she’s the Spanish Amateur champion and a top-100 player in the world.”
Georgia struggled to a 314 as a team and wrapped up the 54-hole event at Poppy Hills Golf Club in 15th place.
“We’ve to get some other people playing well with Paula,” Brewer said. “We’ll end our (fall) season in Atlanta in a couple of weeks, and we’ll try to do that with a bang and get ready for the spring.”
Georgia also counted a 79 from Gabriela Coello, an 81 from Isabella Skinner and an 85 from Bailey Tardy, while dropping Stephanie Carras’ 88.
Overall, Neira Garcia finished at 4-over 217, Coello tied for 39th at 226, Skinner tied for 65th at 234 and Tardy finished 71st at 242.
No. 4 UCLA shot 9-under 275 to overtake No. 8 Stanford and claim the team title. The Bruins finished at 849, three strokes better than the Cardinal.
Stanford’s Andrea Lee and UCLA’s Patty Tavatanakit both closed with 4-under 67s and tied for medalist honors at 6-under 207.
The Bulldogs will wrap up the fall portion of their 2017-18 schedule with the Ladies Fall Intercollegiate on Oct. 27-29. The event will be held at the Atlanta Athletic Club in Duluth, Ga.