Three Tigers earn postseason SEC accolades

050719_wg__wr_11697050719_wg__wr_11697
Wade Rackley/Auburn Athletics

AUBURN, Ala. – Coming off a fifth-place finish in the NCAA Regional, the No. 14 Auburn women's golf team had three players recognized by the SEC on Thursday when the league announced its postseason awards. 

Sophomore Julie McCarthy earned First Team All-SEC honors for her breakout performance this season. McCarthy has six top-five finishes this season and shot par or better in 14 of her 25 rounds leading up to the postseason, including five rounds under 70. She won the Clemson Invitational last month after finishing the tournament at 8 under par. 

McCarthy was recently named to the ANNIKA Award Watch List and will also compete for the International Team in this year's Arnold Palmer Cup in June. 

For the third straight year, Auburn had a player make the SEC All-Freshman Team. This time, it was Brooke Sansom who has four top 20 finishes in her debut season, including an individual victory in the Shootout at Shoal Creek to begin the spring slate. Sansom shot a career low 69 to win the event, a score she later matched in the first round of the Evans Derby Experience. 

Current teammates Kaleigh Telfer (2018) and Elena Hualde Zúñiga (2017) also earned spots on the All-Freshman Team in the last two years. 

The third Auburn golfer recognized Thursday was senior Melanie Talbott, who was named to the SEC Community Service Team for her efforts off the course. 

Talbott boasts a 3.25 GPA and served as the Treasurer for the Auburn Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. She also volunteered for local projects in the community such as Downtown Trick or Treat, Haddie's Home and the Salvation Army Christmas Angels and joined other student-athletes in contributing to the Jason Dufner Foundation by helping stuff backpacks for children in need. 

The Tigers will travel to The Blessings Golf Club in Fayetteville, Arkansas next week to compete in the NCAA Championship, beginning Friday, May 17.