Armstrong’s Sammarco Wins Tusculum Women’s Invitational

Results

KIAWAH ISLAND, SC – Armstrong Atlantic State’s Kristen Sammarco fired a two-under par 70 and won a scorecard tiebreaker to capture medalist honors at the Tusculum Women’s Invitational at Kiawah Island, the first event of the 2012 spring season.  Sammarco’s 144 helped the Pirates to a fifth-place finish in the 18-team field.  UNC Pembroke was tied for sixth and Lander, scoring as a team for the first time in program history, finished ninth.

Sammarco finished the two-day event with a two-under-par 144 score, tying at the top with Jessica Bradley of Lynn, who shot rounds of 73 and 71 for a 144 total. A scorecard tiebreaker was used and Sammarco's birdie on the second hole gave her the title over Bradley.

The Pembroke Pines, Fla., native becomes the second Armstrong women's golfer to capture and individual title, joining Danielle Davis, who won the Mid-Carolina Golf Invitational on Sept. 17, 2005, as well as the one-round SCAD Invitational on March 10, 2006. The two-round 144 score is an Armstrong single-tournament individual record, bettering the 151 shot by Davis in the Flagler Fall Slam on Oct. 23-24, 2006.

Lynn University captured the team title with a final-round 285 for a two-day 582 total, 19 strokes ahead of Florida Southern (601). Barry (610) finished third, followed by host Tusculum (625) and Armstrong, who finished with a 628 total after a 316 score on Sunday.

Sophomore Jenna Birch followed up her first-round 73 with a 78 to finish tied for 12th individually with a seven-over-par 151 total, while sophomore Kelly Pearce shot an 83 on Sunday to finish tied for 45th with a 163 total. Senior Kim Knox shot an 85 to finish tied for 67th with a 172 total to round out Armstrong's scoring. Sophomore Jessica Tomberlin had to withdraw from the second round due to a death in the family.

Tenth-ranked UNCP shaved seven strokes off their opening round to shoot a combined 312 in Sunday's final 18 holes and finish in a tie for sixth.

Four of five UNCP golfers bettered their day-one card by two or more strokes to spark the ascension in the team standings. Junior Shauna Walor (74-80/154) was the top finisher for UNCP as she settled into a tie for 16th place. Dana Watkins (79-76/155) finished in a tie for 18th place, while Meghan Moore (83-75/158) posted the best scorecard for the Lady Braves in the second round en route to finishing in a tie for 24th. Kelly Sumner (83-81/164) and Jenn Crow (83-81/164) were among six individuals tied for 47th place.

Lander, who began their women’s golf team last fall, had individuals participate in two tournaments but have never placed as a team in an event until the Tusculum Invitational.  The Bearcats finished ninth after rounds of 317 and 323, just seven strokes behind Wingate.

Individually for Lander, Marianna Martins tied for 16th with 154 (80-74); Valentina Bueno tied for 36th with 160 (79-81); Ashley Shinn tied for 40th at 161 (79-82); Dea Mahendra tied for 43rd at 162 (79-83) and Rachel Uremovich tied for 57th at 168 (83-85).