ATHENS, Ga. – Freshman Anna Foster saved her best for last at the Liz Murphey Collegiate Classic, firing a career-low 70 (-2) in Sunday's third round to help Auburn jump two spots and finish tied for eighth in the 18-team field.
For Foster, the round started with back-to-back birdies. She made par on the next seven holes go 2-under on the front nine. The freshman added two more birdies on the back nine, giving her seven total for the weekend. She jumped 20 spots on the leaderboard Sunday and finished in a tie for seventh, notching the first top-10 finish of her career.
"She's worked so hard on all aspects of her game, especially her putting, and it was just nice to see it pay off," Auburn head coach Melissa Luellen said.
Senior Kaleigh Telfer also finished in the red Sunday, shooting a 71 (-1) with a team-high five birdies in the final round. Telfer placed in a tie for 14th overall and now has three top-20 finishes this season and 20 for her career.
Both Foster and Telfer earned exemptions for the next tournament with their performances.
Senior Elena Hualde Zúñiga finished tied for 44th individually in her first appearance of the 2020-21 season while Mychael O'Berry closed the weekend with a 77 (+5) on Sunday and moved up eight spots into a tie for 68th overall. Junior Brooke Sansom, who made a total of eight birdies over the course of three days, rounded out the Auburn contingent as she tied for 80th.
South Carolina won the event at 17-over par (881), followed by Ole Miss (883) and Kentucky (890). Auburn, who shot 12-over on Sunday, finished with a team score of 905.
The Tigers will wrap up the regular season next month, April 6-7, at the LSU Tiger Golf Classic in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The SEC Championship will follow on April 14-18.
"We're looking at the long term and the big picture, and that's what is difficult – to stay patient," Luellen said. "Because every tournament does count. I honestly don't know when the magical lineup is going to happen. We're going to keep trying different combinations, and hopefully we'll get clicking in the right gears."
Team Standings
1. South Carolina – 881 (+17)
2. Ole Miss – 883 (+19)
3. Kentucky – 890 (+26)
4. Arkansas – 893 (+29)
5. Georgia – 898 (+34)
6. USC – 899 (+35)
7. LSU – 903 (+39)
8. Auburn – 905 (+41)
9. Florida – 907 (+43)
10. Vanderbilt – 908 (+44)
11. Alabama – 912 (+48)
12. Mississippi State – 914 (+50)
13. Louisville – 915 (+51)
14. Missouri – 923 (+59)
15. College of Charleston – 926 (+62)
16. Texas A&M – 927 (+63)
17. Tennessee – 928 (+64)
18. Georgia B – 950 (+86)
Auburn Individuals
T7. Anna Foster – 72, 77, 70 (+3)
T14. Kaleigh Telfer – 73, 78, 71 (+6)
T44. Elena Hualde Zúñiga – 72, 76, 82 (+14)
T68. Mychael O'Berry – 78, 82, 77 (+21)
T80. Brooke Sansom – 79, 79, 83 (+25)
Anna Foster closes Liz Murphey with career-low 70
