Park Moves Up to Seventh at Gator Invite

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – With 18 holes remaining, the 54th-ranked Miami Hurricanes women’s golf team is in sixth place Saturday at the 41st annual SunTrust Gator Women’s Invitational.

After a second-round 300, the Hurricanes are at 30-over 590, 11 strokes behind second-day leader No. 3 Alabama (+19 579). No. 5 Florida and No. 4 Oklahoma are deadlocked for second place at 22-over 582, while No. 21 Oklahoma State is in fourth at 25-over 585. No. 15 Virginia sits in fifth place at 26-over 586, four strokes ahead of the Hurricanes.

Oklahoma’s Chirapat Jao-Javanil moved up two spots to take the individual lead through 36 holes. At 3-under 137, Jao-Javanil is the only golfer under par and holds a three-stroke lead over Virginia’s Portland Rosen (even-par 140). Baylor’s Hayley Davis is in third at 1-over 141.

“We’re only eight strokes out of second place and really anything can happen so we’re still excited about the last round,” head coach Patti Rizzo said. “Leticia (Ras-Anderica) played great today. She’s one of the best chip-shot hitters I know, and when she can get it close to the pin, it’s an easy putt from there.”

Sophomore Leticia Ras-Anderica carded the Canes’ low-round Saturday after opening the round with eight consecutive pars and a birdie on hole No. 9. Ras-Anderica rebounded from her first-round 77 to post an even-par 70 Saturday and is tied for 19th at 7-over 147.

Miami’s 36-hole leader is sophomore Rika Park, who is tied for seventh at 4-over 144. Park was even-par heading into No. 16, but succumbed to a double-bogey on the same hole before closing out the day with back-to-back pars on Nos. 17 and 18.

After posting an even-par 70 on Friday, junior Carina Cuculiza carded a second-round 80 and is now tied for 35th at 10-over 150

Freshman Christina Ocampo is tied for 27th at 9-over 149. Fellow freshman Laura Hendee is currently tied for 77th at 27-over 167 after 36 holes.

Miami will tee off Sunday’s final round of the SunTrust Gator Women’s Invitational with an 8:30 a.m. shotgun start. Live scoring is available at www.golfstat.com.