AIKEN, S.C. – Fifth-ranked Auburn women’s golf earned a 3-2 match win over Alabama before pulling out another 3-2 victory over No. 16 Mississippi State on Sunday during the first day of the Old Barnwell Derby Match Play at Old Barnwell Golf Club in Aiken, South Carolina. The first day of the event was originally scheduled for Monday but was moved forward due to expected inclement weather.
“All the girls showed a lot of fight today,” Auburn head coach Melissa Luellen said. “We were down late in several matches, but nobody panicked. Everyone just kept grinding and giving themselves chances coming in. To flip those matches and come away with two wins says a lot about this team and its fight.”
In the morning match against Alabama, Auburn earned match wins from Katie Cranston, Charlotte Cantonis and Molly Brown Davidson.
Cranston took an early 2-up advantage over Harriet Lockley through three holes before Lockley cut the deficit to 1-up through four holes. Cranston then carded back-to-back birdies on the seventh and eighth holes to build a 3-up advantage before making the turn. Lockley battled back with a couple of wins on the back nine to cut Cranston’s lead to 1-up through 13 holes, but Cranston recorded three straight wins to close the match 4&2.
Cantonis and Alabama’s Mattison Frick went back and forth, with Frick taking the lead three different times. Trailing 1-down through 15, the Auburn freshman claimed birdies on Nos. 16 and 17 to take her first lead of the match, then closed out the 1-up victory with a halve on the final hole.
Facing her former school, Auburn’s Molly Brown Davidson and Alabama’s Natachanok Tunwannarux stayed close through the front nine, making the turn tied. Davidson then won Nos. 10 and 11 to take a 2-up lead. The two players traded wins on Nos. 15 and 16, but Davidson won the match with a birdie on the par-3 17th hole to earn a 3&1 victory.
In the other two matches, Alabama’s Grace Crawford defeated Auburn’s Carys Worby 2&1 while the Crimson Tide’s Ryan Flynn downed Auburn’s Anna Davis 4&3.
In the afternoon match against Mississippi State, Cantonis and Molly Brown Davidson each earned their second wins of the day.
Cantonis took a 1-up lead over Moa Stridh with a birdie on the second hole and maintained the lead until Stridh tied the match on No. 15 and took a 1-up lead on the following hole. The Auburn freshman then recorded wins on each of the final two holes to win the match 1-up.
Mississippi State’s Sam Whateley took an early lead over Davidson before the Auburn sophomore tied the match and took a 1-up lead with back-to-back wins on the sixth and seventh holes. The two went back and forth on the back nine, which was tied through 17 holes. Davidson then birdied the 18th hole at Old Barnwell Golf Club to pull off the 1-up victory. At the time of Davidson’s match win, Auburn and Mississippi State had each won two matches, with the final match tied.
Mississippi State’s Ines Belchior built a 3-up lead through eight holes over Anna Davis, but the Auburn junior picked up wins on Nos. 9, 11 and 17 to tie the match. On the 22nd hole, Davis won the match with a par to deliver the Tigers a 3-2 victory.
Auburn will face No. 11 Duke in the championship match on Tuesday. Live scoring of Tuesday’s round will be available at scoreboard.clippd.com.
#5 Auburn 3, Alabama 2
- Ryan Flynn (ALA) def. Anna Davis (AUB) 4&3
- Grace Crawford (ALA) def. Carys Worby (AUB) 2&1
- Katie Cranston (AUB) def. Harriet Lockley (ALA) 4&2
- Charlotte Cantonis (AUB) def. Mattison Frick (ALA) 1UP
- Molly Brown Davidson (AUB) def. Natachanok Tunwannarux (ALA) 3&1
#5 Auburn 3, #16 Mississippi State 2
- Izzy Pellot (MSST) def. Carys Worby (AUB) 1UP
- Avery Weed (MSST) def. Katie Cranston (AUB) 4&3
- Charlotte Cantonis (AUB) def. Moa Stridh (MSST) 1UP
- Anna Davis (AUB) def. Ines Belchior 1UP (22 holes)
- Molly Brown Davidson (AUB) def. Sam Whateley (MSST) 1UP