University of Richmond
Patriot League Championship (Saucon Valley CC)
Women's Golf Wins Second-Straight Patriot League Title
04/23/2017 | Women's Golf
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Big time players, play big, in big time situations; and that is exactly what the University of Richmond women's golf team did down the stretch of the 2017 Patriot League Championship to overcome a four-stroke deficit over the final holes to claim a second consecutive league crown.
Boston U. opened the final round with a two-stroke lead over the Spiders who erased that before everyone had finished the first hole of the day. The Terriers took that punch but continued the battle with the same type of play that erased the 15-stroke Richmond lead the day before.
Things looked bleak for the defending champs at multiple junctions but the grit and determination of this squad showed through as player after player hit big shot after big shot to keep things close. Both sides traded single stroke leads for most of the back nine until Boston U. moved ahead by as many as four with the qualifying scorers reaching the 18th tee.
The final round closed in spectacular fashion as the Spiders not only erased the gap but also took a commanding lead of three strokes by the time Isabella Rusher took the 18th tee in the last group.
The Spiders' lone representative on the All-Conference First Team was Rusher (227) who played as steady as they come all day, posting a +5, 77 to finish in a tie for third overall. She made a pair of birdies to offset some bogeys while playing alongside the eventual individual winner of the tournament from Boston U.
Sophie DiPetrillo (228) had one of the more remarkable finishes of any player on the course, mostly due to the fact that she shook off an eight on the par 5, 10th to birdie two of the next four holes. She bogeyed the 15th but it was pars from then on in. On the 18th her tee shot leaked left behind the tree line leaving a tough second. She fired a low burner around the trees and ran the ball up on the fringe in spectacular fashion. After a chip shot sailed the ball past the hole she drilled a 20 footer for par that received a roar from the gallery. She closed the round with a +3, 75 and finished sixth overall, the first of three Spiders on the All-Conference Second Team.
Marie Donnici (229) may not have scratched out any red numbers but again it was par that was friendly as she managed to hit the number on holes 12-18 to close out a +4, 76. Her score was good enough to move into sole possession of seventh place overall, earning Second Team All-Conference honors.
Annie Collom (234) took a triple on the 13 hole but closed her round with five-straight pars, including an incredible par save on 16 that was very nearly a birdie when her chip from off the green rimmed out. She closed with a +6, 78 and jumped into the top-10, earning Second Team All-Conference recognition.
Coach Ali Wright earned Coach of the Year honors, which is voted on by her peers in the league.
The Spiders will now wait for the NCAA Selection Show, which will air on the Golf Channel on Thursday (Apr. 27) at 11 a.m. From there the team will ready itself to travel to the NCAA Regionals on May 8-10.
Players Mentioned
