AUBURN, Ala. – A birdie on the last hole moved Auburn's Julie McCarthy into a tie for third on the final player leaderboard at the Evans Derby Experience on Monday. It was the fifth top five finish of the season for the sophomore, who shot a 72 (E) in the third round and finished the tournament at 1-under par.
"I hit a lot of fairways and greens all week," McCarthy said. "I left a lot of putts out there, but for the most part I hit the ball really well.
"My swing feels really good right now. I've been working hard with Coach (Andrew) Pratt and also Coach (Melissa) Luellen and my coach back home for most of the semester. Hopefully, one tournament all the putts will fall."
As a team, No. 13 Auburn finished seventh in its home tournament after shooting a 296 (+8) on the final day at Saugahatchee Country Club (Par 72, 6,250 yards). McCarthy led the way with her round, but seven of the eight Tigers in the field shot a 76 or lower on Monday.
"I think this was such a great opportunity for us to learn about the golf course in a competitive environment," Luellen said. "With all of the different hole locations, seeing things at different winds and conditions – it's a championship golf course."
In a field that included 10 teams ranked in the Top 25, Auburn had four golfers finish in the top 40.
Next up after McCarthy was junior Elena Hualde Zúñiga who shot a 75 (+3) in the third round and tied for 30th overall at 7 over. Freshmen Brooke Sansom and Chandler Rosholt also placed in the top 40 after the duo each carded a 74 (+2) on Monday. The three combined to make nine birdies for the round and 27 birdies for the tournament.
Junior Mychael O'Berry narrowly missed the top 40 as she finished in 41st following a 3-over 75 in the final round – her best round of the event.
Florida State won the tournament with a 6-over 870, followed by Arkansas (874), Duke (874), Texas (874), Florida (880), Kent State (885), Auburn (889), Baylor (893), South Carolina (893), Mississippi State (901), Ole Miss (901), Clemson (905), Alabama (907) and Louisville (912).
Next up for Auburn is the Clemson Invitational from April 7-9 in Sunset, South Carolina. It's the last tournament for the team before they compete at the SEC championship.
Team Standings
1. Florida State -- 870 (+6)
T2. Arkansas -- 874 (+10)
T2. Duke -- 874 (+10)
T2. Texas -- 874 (+10)
5. Florida -- 880 (+16)
6. Kent State -- 885 (+21)
7. Auburn -- 889 (+25)
T8. Baylor -- 893 (+29)
T8. South Carolina -- 893 (+29)
T10. Mississippi State -- 901 (+37)
T10. Ole Miss -- 901 (+37)
12. Clemson -- 905 (+41)
13. Alabama -- 907 (+43)
14. Louisville -- 912 (+48)
Auburn Individuals
T3. Julie McCarthy – 72, 71, 72 (-1)
T30. Elena Hualde Zúñiga – 73, 75, 75 (+7)
T35. Brooke Sansom – 69, 81, 74 (+8)
T38. Chandler Rosholt – 75, 76, 74 (+9), ind.
41. Mychael O'Berry – 76, 76, 75 (+11)
T71. Kayley Marschke – 77, 77, 80 (+18), ind.
77. Anika Bolcíková – 80, 81, 76 (+21), ind.
79. Kaleigh Telfer – 82, 81, 76 (+23)