Bulls Capture Two Titles at Old Friends Invitational

Host USF women’s golf runs away from the field in a 20-shot, wire-to-wire win to open the spring season.

Freshman and individual champion Erika Smith (-4) posts a nine-shot win at Tampa Palms Golf & Country Club.

TAMPA, FEB. 18, 2020 – Host USF women’s golf started the spring with a wire-to-wire win while Erika Smith captured the individual title at the inaugural Old Friends Invitational on Tuesday.

​All five Bulls in the lineup placed 13th or better to help the program post a 20-shot victory at Tampa Palms Golf & Country Club (par 72, 6,286 yards). It marked USF’s first tournament win of the 2019-20 season and the Bulls’ third team title victory since the start of last spring.

Smith carded three straight under-par scores (71-71-70) to finish with a 4-under 212 in her nine-shot victory. The freshman from Orlando secured her first individual title win as a Bull by shooting par or better on all 18 holes of her 2-under final round. Smith led the Bulls with 10 birdies, made 38 pars, and set tournament bests for par-3 scoring (2.75, -3) and par-4 scoring (4.00, E). 

Smith also shined on par-5 holes (4.92, -1) in USF’s first individual title victory since Natalia Villavicencio’s one-shot win at the John Kirk Panther Intercollegiate on April 2, 2019.

Ramya Meenakshisundaram (Jacksonville, Fla.) earned a share of runner-up honors by finishing with a 5-over 221. The sophomore tied for second in the field with a team-leading 39 pars and made three of her six total birdies during a 2-under 70 performance in the second round. Meenakshisundaram now has five career top-10 finishes to her credit.

Sadie Dewinton-Davies started her spring with an even-par 72 in the first round and finished the event in a tie for ninth at 11-over (227). The senior from Newtown, Wales made 35 total pars in her second top-10 showing as a Bull since last season.

Redshirt junior Jessica Whitting (T11th) and junior Ashley Zagers (13th) also finished in solid fashion after contributing to the victory with numerous counting scores.
 
USF Scores

Pos.Team/Player (seed)Rd 1Rd 2Rd 3Total
1South Florida293294299886
1Erika Smith (1)717170212
T2Ramya Meenakshisundaram (2)777074221
9Sadie Dewinton-Davies (4)727976227
T11Jessica Whitting (3)757679230
13Ashley Zagers (5)757779231

 
Quotable
Head coach Erika Brennan on what led to USF’s success in the spring opener:
“It’s an incredible way to start the spring. All credit to the intentionality and focus they’ve brought to practices this spring. Ever since coming back from break, it seems like there’s been a fire lit under them. It’s awesome when that happens because then as a coach you can kind of facilitate things versus actually managing the day-to-day. They take care of their business. They come in, they work hard every day and it’s been phenomenal. To get a win today and feel like you got rewarded for that, it feels good.”

​Brennan on freshman Erika Smith and her title-winning performance:
“Erika played light-out; three rounds under par on a tough golf course and a tough setup. Her game really just doesn’t have any weaknesses. She’s a complete player, especially as a freshman. Her future is incredible bright and she’s the kind of kid who works hard. You can tell she loves being out here and loves being a part of team golf.”

Brennan’s thoughts on the inaugural Old Friends Invitational:
“This support this week is unlike any tournament I’ve ever been a part of, quite frankly. The USF Athletic staff came out in big numbers. We saw other coaches, cabinet members. Jeff Scott came out and made an appearance… So many people showed up for us and it made a difference. That energy really, really helped.”
 
Notables

  • Tuesday marked USF’s first tournament win of the 2019-20 season. The Bulls have won three team tournament titles since the start of last spring.
  • Erika Smith captured USF’s first individual title since Natalia Villavicencio’s one-shot victory at the John Kirk Panther Intercollegiate on April 2, 2019. Smith has placed in the top five in two of her first five events as a Bull.
  • Smith’s final score of 4-under 212 is tied for the seventh best 54-hole total in program history.
  • USF led the seven-team field in par-3 scoring (3.08), par-4 scoring (4.19) and par-5 scoring (5.13). The Bulls also collected the most pars (178) and birdies (32).

 
Up Next 
USF travels to Tallahassee for the two-day Florida State Matchup that begins Feb. 29 at Seminole Golf Course and Club.
 
 
About USF Women’s Golf
Veteran head coach Erika Brennan completed her first full season with USF in 2018-19 and helped the Bulls become the second-fastest rising program in the country as they climbed 75 spots in the national Golfstat rankings. The Bulls opened the 2018 fall season with a runner-up finish at the USA Intercollegiate and also placed second at the FIU Pat Bradley Invitational to wrap up their four-tournament run before the spring. In the spring opener, USF captured the program’s first tournament team title since April 11, 2017 with a two-shot victory at the Florida Challenge. USF finished up the regular season with a 22-shot win at the John Kirk Panther Intercollegiate on April 2. Freshman Ramya Meenakshisundaram became the first Bull to earn all-conference honors since 2016. 

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