HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Middle Tennessee shot 300 in the final round of the UALR/North Texas Classic to tally 902 for the tournament and finish second among the 17-team field here Tuesday, marking the sixth time in nine tournaments this year the women's golf team has turned in a top 5 finish under head coach Rachael Short.
The 300 tied for the second-lowest round of the day and enabled the Blue Raiders to pass Texas El Paso to move into second. UALR won the tournament with an 889. The 300 goes down as the sixth-best third-round score in school history, and the 902 is the fifth-best three-round tournament total in program history.
Blue Raider junior sensation Taryn Durham continued her outstanding season with a 218 to lead Middle Tennessee and finish fifth overall at the Diamante Club in Hot Springs, Ark.
"I'm very proud of the girls and the way they came out focused and took the course (Tuesday)," Short said. "It was a tough course, a very hilly course, but a beautiful layout and the team played it well. I think this gives us momentum going into our final tournament of the year before the (Sun Belt Conference) tournament."
In all, the Blue Raiders had three of the tournament's top 21 players in the 87-person field as Durham finished fifth, Leigh Wilkins (227) was 20th, and Maggie McGill finished strong with a 79 to tie for 21st with a 229. Mallory Bishop (233) and Clara Leathers (234) rounded out the Middle Tennessee scoring.
Durham was steady throughout with a 2-over 218, which tied for the second-best tournament total in program history. It is her fifth top 5 finish this season and the 14th of her stellar career.
The Blue Raiders will play in the Southern Miss Lady Eagle Invitational, hosted by Southern Miss, April 2-3.
UALR/NT Golf Classic
Hot Springs Ark. - Diamante Club
Final Round Results
1 UALR 295 293 301 889
2 Middle Tennessee 306 296 300 902
3 Texas El Paso 305 297 301 903
4 Sam Houston 298 305 301 904
5 Oral Roberts 299 307 303 909
6 Florida International 306 307 298 911
7 McNeese State 310 304 300 914
Missouri State 297 296 321 914
9 Wichita State 313 311 301 925
Toledo 306 315 304 925
11 North Texas 315 307 305 927
12 Texas State 310 312 306 928
13 Texas A&M Corpus Christi 317 306 316 939
14 Nicholls State 319 328 300 947
15 Arkansas State 318 311 319 948
16 Texas-Pan American 324 335 310 969
17 UMKC 334 333 327 994
MT Individual Scores
2 Middle Tennessee 306 296 300 902
5 Taryn Durham 73 72 73 218
20 Leigh Wilkins 79 73 75 227
T21 Maggie McGill 75 79 75 229
T35 Mallory Bishop 80 73 80 233
T40 Clara Leathers 79 78 77 234
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