The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
South Alabama Women's Invitational
Watts Finishes Second At USA Women's Invitational
2/28/2012 12:00:00 AM | Women's Golf
Feb. 28, 2012
MOBILE, Ala. -- UAB sophomore Caitlin Watts finished in a three-way tie for second place, just one shot out of first, as the UAB women's golf team wrapped up play Tuesday at the weather-shortened, 36-hole USA Women's Invitational.
The Blazers fired a team score of 303 Tuesday, tying for the lowest of the day, and moved up one spot to sixth in the final team standings with a two-round total of 617. UAB finished 10 strokes behind team champion South Alabama (607). Butler closed in second place at 609, while the third through sixth place teams were separated by just three strokes.
Watts fired a second-round 75 after carding a 73 in the opening round at the par-72, 6,071-yard Azalea City Golf Club. At 4-over par 148 for the tournament, she tied South Alabama's duo of Kristen Golightly and Ingrid Hagen for second place, one stroke behind individual medalist Lina Lagergren of ULM. Lagergren closed with the lowest round of the tournament, a 1-under par 71, to finish at 147 for the two days.
"Everyone played really well, especially for our first event," UAB coach Kim Wilcox said. "The leaderboard was really jammed up, and we were right in the mix. Caitlin's going to have a good spring for us. She's hitting the ball really well, but so is every one of our girls."
Junior Jaime Ritter was the next-best finisher for UAB, tying for 18th at 11-over 155 (80-75), and freshman Holly Robinson was one shot behind her at 156 (80-76) in a tie for 20th. Fellow freshman Margaret Yeh tied for 36th at 160 (83-77), and junior Ana Martin tied for 47th at 164 (81-83) to round out the UAB lineup.
This week's tournament was the first event of the spring for the Blazers. It was originally scheduled to be a 54-hole tournament but was cut down to 36 after Monday's first round was delayed by rain.
UAB is now off until March 16-18 when the Blazers will return to action at the Cincinnati Intercollegiate in Crystal River, Fla.
