CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – In the final round of the Islander Classic, the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi golf team battled strong winds at the Corpus Christi Country Club, leading to a seventh-place finish on Wednesday morning at 69-over (305-312-316—933) . Dani Bergmann led the Blue and Green with her first career top-10 finish, coming in seventh place at eight-over par (72-74-78—224), besting her career low by two strokes.
RELATED: Final Leaderboard
The Islanders entered the final day of competition in sixth place, following a great start in the opening round. Bergmann shook off double-bogey on the first to par her next six holes. The German international capped her first home tournament of her career with a six-over, 78, in the third round.
"I was slightly disappointed that we were not able to finish higher on the leaderboard," head coach Carol Blackmar said. "We need more consistent play out of our three, four and five players. I was proud of how Dani and Vanessa competed throughout the tournament, but we have to do better as a team. We will use this tournament as a less as we continue to prepare for the Southland Conference Tournament."
Vanessa Johnson could not maintain a fast start that had her even through the first nine holes of the day. The Corpus Christi native shot nine over on the back to finish with an 81 and tied for 14th place.
Ana Paredes came into Wednesday looking to shake off a brutal first two rounds. With the low score on the day for the Blue and Green, the San Antonio native used a birdie on her 16th hole to pull herself back to three-over (75) and finish the Islander Classic at 23-over (79-85-75—239) tied for 38th place.
Anna Millet-Esteve and Julia Dereniwsky struggled in the wind to card scores of 87 and 82, respectively. As an individual, Olivia Lowe could not shake off going eight-over on the opening four holes, eventually finishing with an 85.
In addition to Bergmann's success, another rookie played well in her first career tournament. Freshman Michelle Grilliette posted an eight-over, 80, to finish the event at 20-over (81-75-80—236). As an individual, the San Antonio native finish tied for 30th.
Coming into the tournament ranked as the No. 77 team in the nation, UTSA proved why it is deserving of that recognition. The Roadrunners took the team title at 20-over par (289-291-304—884), 21 strokes ahead of second-place Lamar. The Cardinals edged out fellow Southland Conference rival Houston Baptist by one shot.
UTSA's Julie Houston earned medalist honors after nearly losing her four-shot lead heading into the final round. Houston, at one-under (68-71-76—215), was the only player to score below par for the tournament.
ON THE TEE
The Islanders will hit the road for the remainder of their spring season, gearing up for the Southland Conference Tournament on April 22. A&M-Corpus Christi will return to competition at the UTRGV Women's Collegiate, which runs March 7-9.
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- Go Ders -
