RIO MAR, PUERTO RICO — The Georgia women’s golf team posted a 4-over 292 in Tuesday’s final round of the Lady Puerto Rico Classic, leaving the No. 5-ranked Bulldogs in fifth place on the team leaderboard. Georgia completed the 54-hole event at the Rio Mar River Course at 884.
“You want to win, but at the same time it’s a great teaching tool for all of us,” head coach Josh Brewer said. “We haven’t played in four months. When you finally get out there and play a tournament, you know the areas where you have to get better. There are no glaring weaknesses, just some things we need to tighten up. We have three months to do that, and we will.”
Individually, senior Harang Lee and sophomore Bailey Tardy posted top-20 efforts. Lee tied for 12th at 3-over 219, while Tardy tied for 18th at 5-over 221. In addition, Jillian Hollis tied for 24th at 223, Rinko Mitsunaga tied for 38th at 226, Mary Ellen Shuman tied for 56th at 231 and Sammi Lee placed 68th at 231.
On Tuesday, Tardy posted the Bulldogs’ low loop with a 2-under 70. Lee signed for a 1-under 71, and Georgia also counted a 73 from Hollis and a 78, the score recorded by both Mitsunaga and Shuman. Sammi Lee, who was competing as an individual, also shot 78.
Tardy teed off from No. 10 with Tuesday’s shotgun start and enjoyed a very steady day. After a bogey at No. 10, she immediately birdied No. 11 and posted 10 consecutive pars. Additional birdies at No. 4 and No. 8, her final hole of the day, moved her to 2-under.
Harang Lee also played consistently throughout her round. She teed off at No. 8 and birdied No. 9 and No. 16 to move to 2-under. After giving a stroke back with a bogey at No. 17, Lee birdied No. 1 to return to 2-under. She finished at 1-under following her second bogey of the day at No. 6.
N.C. State captured the team title after shooting 3-under 285 on Tuesday and finishing at 877. That was a single stroke better than No. 8 Furman and No. 15 Kent. State. Rounding out the top-10 teams were TCU at 883, the Bulldogs at 884, No. 23 Baylor at 887, Texas Tech at 893, No. 9 Arkansas at 895, Michigan at 896 and Iowa State at 900.
Georgia was the tournament’s defending champion, one of five team titles for the Bulldogs a year ago before they finished 18th at the NCAA Championships.
“We started last spring with a win and then ended it with a feeling that left us hungry,” Brewer said. “This week has given us that hungry feeling now. We’ll get back to work and try to flip the script this year where we end the season with the win that we’re all working toward.”
Georgia will return to action in three weeks when they play in the Darius Rucker Intercollegiate in Hilton Head, S.C.