NC State
Tar Heel Invitational
Runner-Up James Knocks Off Nation's Top-Four
10/9/2011 12:00:00 AM | Women's Golf
Oct. 9, 2011
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - Freshman Augusta James closed with a 3-under par 69 to claim runner-up honors at the Tar Heel Invitational Sunday, helping 14th-ranked NC State women’s golf to a fifth place finish and wins over nine Golfstat top-50 opponents including ACC rivals No. 2 Virginia, No. 11 Duke, and No. 47 Wake Forest.
James’s 8-under total of 208 set an NC State record for lowest 54-hole score, but left her one shot shy of medalist Marta Sanz of Auburn. Sanz birdied the 54th hole of the tournament to outlast the freshman. James betters the previous school record, Lauren Doughtie's 209 at the 2008 Mercedes-Benz Collegiate, by one stroke.
“Augusta played really well, she kept it steady and patient,” said NC State head coach Page Marsh, “but I’m proud of the whole team for playing so hard and sticking with it, getting this great result. [James] played with some of the best players in the nation every day this week, and she held it together. The wins will come for her, it’s just fun to watch for right now.”
James entered the event ranked 86th in the nation according to Golfstat, but her finish topped each of the top-four golfers in the nation and 30 of the top-100.
An NC State golfer has finished in the top-two in each of the Pack’s last two events, as James extends a streak started by junior Amanda Baker at the Cardinal Cup.
The Pack’s three-round total of 869 missed the school record, set in NC State’s season-opener this year, by five shots, but qualifies as the second lowest three-round total in program history.
Freshman Vivian Tsui earned the second top-25 of her career with a share of 21st after her 3-over par 75 to tally a 219 for the tournament.
Sophomore Brittany Marchand turned in the Wolfpack’s second-best score of the day, a 1-under 71 to climb 22 spots to 44th.
Sophomore Ana Menendez rounded out the Pack’s team scorecard with her 3-over par final round 74 to finish one shot behind Tsui on the individual leaderboard in a tie for 29th.
Amanda Baker landed one shot back of Menendez on the day, carding a 3-over 75 to settle into 76th.
NC State wraps up the fall season in three weeks at the Landfall Tradition hosted by UNC Wilmington October 28-30.
1. LSU 284-285-287--856 (-8)
2. Alabama 281-288-291--860 (-4)
3. Auburn 287-290-284--861 (-3)
4. North Carolina 290-286-286--862 (-2)
5. NC State 291-289-289--869 (+5)
T6. Tennessee 293-290-287--870 (+6)
T6. Georgia 295-286-289--870 (+6)
T8. Michigan State 291-291-295--877 (+13)
T8. Wake Forest 284-297-296--877 (+13)
10. Duke 298-287-294--879 (+15)
11. South Carolina 289-299-294--882 (+18)
T12. Louisville 296-296-292--884 (+20)
T12. Virginia 297-292-295--884 (+20)
14. Tulane 295-300-293-888 (+24)
15. Arkansas 300-302-288--890 (+26)
16. Chattanooga 307-297-293--897 (+33)
17. Coastal Carolina 304-296-301--901 (+37)
18. Notre Dame 307-305-297--909 (+45)
T2. Augusta James 70-69-69--208 (-8)
T21. Vivian Tsui 73-71-75--219 (+3)
T29. Ana Menendez 75-71-74--220 (+4)
T44. Brittany Marchand 73-79-71--223 (+7)
T76. Amanda Baker 75-78-75--228 (+12)
