May 25, 2024
WINTER GARDEN, Fla. — It was no surprise to anyone who was at Orange County National or following along on the live scoring that the two teams playing for the National Championship in Women’s Golf would need an extra hole to differentiate between them.
The University of Indianapolis and St. Mary’s University each shot 876 through the 54 holes of stroke play to tie for seventh place. The Greyhounds received the seventh seed in the Medal Match play when all five scores were combined. The two clubs battled back-and-forth throughout the 18 holes in the finals, with each holding the lead during different times, but ended in a 2-2-1 tie, forcing a sudden death playoff on hole 18. UIndy won the one-hole playoff 19-20 to win their third national title.
“This was such a great year for St. Mary’s Women’s Golf,” said Director of Golf Connor McCarthy. “I’m beyond proud of this team. The entire team did everything possible to get the job done, but we fell one stroke short in a playoff.”
Freshman Savannah Dupre (Boerne, Texas) and her opponent, Jess Haines – also a freshman – each shot 70. The pair were tied through seven of the 18 holes, with Haines holding the lead after the first six before Dupre knotted things up on the seventh hole.
Senior Rebecca Reed (Midland, Texas) carded a 72 in the final round of her stellar career, coming in one stroke ahead of Ava Ray and her 73. Ray held a lead through the first 10 holes before Reed tied things on 11. Ray regained the lead and held it until the 16th when Reed tallied a birdie to knot the scores again. Reed shot a three on 17 to take the one-stroke lead and each recorded a par on 18.
Junior Orla O’Leary (Galashiels, Scotland) took the lead after the first hole and never relinquished it, tallying a 71 to defeat senior Matilda Cederholm by one stroke. O’Leary led by as many as six strokes after 10 holes, but Cederholm closed the gap to one, shooting a 72 on the day.
The fourth pairing of senior Estelle Beck-Dixon (Lakeway, Texas) and UIndy freshman Caroline Whallon went back-and-forth throughout the round. Whallon grabbed a one-stroke lead on the third hole and held it until the sixth. Beck-Dixon took a two-stroke advantage on hole seven and maintained a lead until the 14th, when Whallon again knotted the score. Beck-Dixon shot a 73, dropping the match by one stroke.
Junior Libby Kilbride (Sheffield, England) carded a 73. However, her opponent, Anci Dy, posted the lowest round in the finals, shooting a 67 to win by six strokes.
During the playoff hole, the teams were separated into two groups of five, with the four low totals counting toward the championship. All five Rattlers parred the hole, while the Greyhounds posted two birdies, two bogeys and one par to win 19-20.
“I can’t thank these players enough for their drive and commitment to the program,” McCarthy stated. “Seniors Estelle Dixon and Rebecca Reed will truly be missed. I am excited for the future of the program after a historic season!”
The Rattlers say goodbye to two phenomenal seniors in Beck-Dixon and Reed, who rewrote the record books during their five-year careers. Senior Maria Ferrer (Queretaro, Mexico) also wrapped up her career, though she didn’t participate in the NCAA Championship.