HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. – The Alabama women’s golf team won its second tournament of the 2017-18 season on Sunday with an eight-stroke victory at Darius Rucker Intercollegiate at the par-71, 6,282-yard Long Cove Club at Hilton Head Island, S.C.
The win was the third in a row for the Tide at the Rucker and the fifth in the seven seasons the tournament has been played. Alabama previously took home team titles in 2012, 2013, 2016 and 2017. The victory also gives the Tide six top-two finishes in six tournaments this season.
“I always love to go to this tournament because the course is so demanding,” Alabama head coach Mic Potter said following the round. “We have good ball-strikers and you can’t fake your way around this course. You have to make a decision on every shot and commit to it. Our team did a great job of that all weekend.”
Alabama (286-291-289/866) finished at 14-over par, eight shots ahead of second-place Arkansas (290-296-288/874), which came in at 22-over par. Wake Forest (296-294-288/878) finished third at 26-over par. Duke (295-296-288/879) finished fourth at 27-over par while Northwestern (287-296-303/886) finished fifth at 34-over par.
Junior Lauren Stephenson (69-71-72/212) was the Tide’s low finisher for the fourth time in six outing this season, finishing second at 1-under par, two shots off the lead. The Lexington, S.C. native was one of only two golfers to finish below par for the tournament. Stephenson has now finished in the top three in five of her six tournament outings this season has a team-leading 14 rounds of par or better in 17 rounds played in 2017-18.
Senior Lakareber Abe (71-74-72/217) and junior Cheyenne Knight (73-73-71/217) tied for sixth at 4-over par. Sophomore Kristen Gillman (73-73-74/220) tied for 15th at 7-over par. Freshman Angelica Moresco (76-78-75/229) finished at 16-over par to tie for 56th after a 4-over par round on Sunday.
“I feel good about us on a course like this,” Potter added. “I trust this group to give it their best on every shot and in most cases that’s going to be good enough for us to win.”
Alabama will return to action March 18-20 at the Evans Derby Experience at the Auburn University Golf Club in Auburn.
