California Baptist University
Little Rock Golf Classic
CBU Claims Podium Finish at Little Rock
10/29/2019 1:17:00 PM | Women's Golf
HOT SPRINGS VILLAGE --- California Baptist University's women's golf team closed out the final round of the Little Rock Golf Classic on Tuesday afternoon, as the Lancers jumped up one spot to place third out of 17 teams.
The field experienced a different golf course during the final round, as cloud cover brought in a gentle mist that hung around throughout the day. The 90-player field battled softer greens and fairways, while the fog and cloud cover slowed the ball down with thicker air.
The Lancers produced the sixth-best score on the day with a 12-over-par 300 to move up one spot to finish on the podium in third. The Lancers end their fall season with momentum on their side, as the third-place finish marks the highest tournament finish of the fall.
Western Kentucky went wire-to-wire all three days to win the tournament with a 291-286-299=876 team score. Bradley stayed put in second with a 295-287-299=881, while the Lancers rounded out the podium in third with a 293-293-300=886.
"I'm really proud of this group and how they battled all three rounds," said head coach Marc Machado. "From top to bottom, we had great attitudes and made sure we hung around the top of the leaderboard. It's always nice to have the highest finish of our fall season come at the final tournament. We have a lot to build on, and we are starting to get a little more confident. We are taking baby steps, but results are slowly starting to show. I'm just really proud of this TEAM."
As for the individuals, Jocelyn Chee was one of three players to close out the final round under par. Chee strung together three rounds of 71 to move up three spots to place tied for second. Chee finished with a 3-under-par 71-71-71=213 for her best performance of the fall. The 3-under-par 213 is a new career-best for Chee and moves her into third all-time for best 54 hole total.
"I'm super proud of Jocelyn," added Machado. "Captain Chee was a stud all three days and continues to impress me on and off the golf course. We are very blessed to have her as our leader."
Samantha Martirez moved up 11 spots in the final round with a 2-over-par 74 to place T-19th. Martirez finished with a 76-73-74=223.
Sofia Chabon signed a 74-74-78=226 to place T-34th, while Kristyna Abrahamova shot a 73-75-79=227 to take T-39th.
Belle Balkan closed out her day with a 5-over-par 77 to move up eight spots to place T-62nd. Balkan started her round off with a triple-bogey on hole six but rallied to shoot 2-over-par throughout the final 17 holes.
"I'm really happy with how Belle battled today," said Machado. "It's easy to lose focus after a triple on your opening hole, but she fought the whole way to finish with a 2-over-par score on the final 17 holes."
The Lancers will take a break from tournament play until the 2020 season. CBU will kick off the spring season with the SoCal Ryder Cup against Cal State Fullerton on Jan. 25.
Players Mentioned
