`Canes win Edwin Watts/Kiawah Island Classic Again
Feb. 22, 2011
KIAWAH ISLAND, S.C. – The University of Miami women’s golf team took home the championship at the Edwin Watts/Kiawah Island Classic for the third straight year, shooting a 295 at Cougar Point Golf Course on Tuesday. The Hurricanes finished nine strokes ahead of second place Campbell University.
The win marked the first for the team under first-year head coach Patti Rizzo.
“The thing that impresses me the most is the attitude of the team,” said Rizzo. “They stayed focused and did not let bad shots take them off their game. They played great and I am very proud of this team.”
The Edwin Watts/Kiawah Island Classic, hosted by the College of Charleston, is the largest women’s collegiate golf tournament in the country, as 33 teams and 173 players took part in this year’s event. Twelve of the top 100 nationally ranked teams participated in this year’s field.
The ‘Canes took advantage of favorable course designs to take an early lead in the first round and never looked back holding the top spot on the leaderboard throughout. Miami shot a 296 and 295 at Cougar Point in the first and third rounds, respectively, and a 297 at Oak Point Golf Club during Monday’s second round.
“The girls really liked the design of the courses since it played well into their games,” said Coach Rizzo. “Our strength is our accuracy and the courses called for a shorter and straighter game.”
Senior Maria Ronderos continued her stellar play, shooting a one-under par 71 to finish in a tie for fifth amongst individuals to earn a spot on the All-Tournament team. She has now placed in fifth in both tournaments this spring.
“Maria [Ronderos] stayed calm at all times and continued to put it down the middle of the fairway with great consistency,” said Coach Rizzo. “She was really focused out there all week.”
Ronderos carded four birdies, four bogeys and one double bogey on Tuesday. She totaled seven birdies for the tournament.
Junior Jennifer Hirano notched her second career top-10 finish with her round of 74 on Tuesday. She holed one birdie on the day.
Her sister, Christina, played a consistent final round with a one-over par 73 to finish in a tie for 13th. The senior registered six birdies for the event.
Junior Patricia Arana placed in a tie for 21st with a final round score of 77, while freshman Carina Cuculiza put up a 78 to contribute to the team’s victory. Cuculiza finished in a tie for 39th.
Campbell University’s Sarah Bejgrowicz was the tournament’s individual medalist with an even-par 216 total score for the three rounds.
“Kiawah Island is a beautiful place and the golf courses were kept in great shape,” said Coach Rizzo. “We enjoyed our time here.”
The Hurricanes will be back in action this Sunday, traveling to Weston, Fla. to compete in the Sir Pizza Cards Challenge.
Be sure to follow the University of Miami women’s golf team on HurricaneSports.com as well as their newly formed twitter page, Twitter.com/HurricanesGolf.
