Arkansas Tech win fifth straight GAC women’s golf tournament title
GAC Communications
HOT SPRINGS – Arkansas Tech won the 2019 Great American Conference Women’s Golf Championships in record fashion as the Golden Suns posted the first subpar team score in GAC Championship history to overcome a four-shot deficit and win at Hot Springs Country Club for the fifth-straight year. Allie Weiner carded a championship-record 5-under par 67 to win the individual title by two shots on Tuesday.
Weiner entered the final round six shots off of the lead. She opened her third round with four birdies in her first six holes. After a pair of bogeys in the middle of the round, she rattled off three-straight birdies on holes 15, 16 and 17 to post the lowest round in championship history by two strokes.
All five Golden Suns finished inside the top eight. GAC Freshman of the Year Jacqueline Klemm and two-time GAC Player of the Year Peerada Piddon shared third place. Piddon notched three birdies on the back nine. Pia Nunbhakdi lowered her score for the second-straight round to move up into a tie for fifth. She captured All-Tournament honors for the fourth-straight year. Sydney Staton tied for seventh.
Southwestern Oklahoma State took second to the Golden Suns for the second-straight year. Chloe Thackeray and Gloria Choi earned All-Tournament honors. Thackeray finished as the runner up while Choi tied for fifth. Thackeray led the field in par 4 scoring. Choi joined Nunbhakdi as four-time All-Tournament honorees. Jenna Eiden shared seventh, Elin Wahlin placed 10th and Veronika de Bochdanovits tied for 11th.
Henderson State placed third for the second-consecutive season. Hanna Brauburger moved up to ninth place after posting a 3-over 75. She led the conference in par 5 scoring, 4.58, after birdieing the four par 5s a total of five times. Luisa Gartmann and Taylor Reed each turned in top-15 finishes.
Southern Nazarene finished fourth, followed by Harding and Oklahoma Baptist. Kaylee Petersen paced the Crimson Storm by finishing in 13th. Brooklyn Terry led the Lady Bisons by tying for 15th. Elly Baze turned in a top-20 finish for the Lady Bison.
Southern Arkansas, Northwestern Oklahoma State and Arkansas-Monticello rounded out the team standings. Bailey Carr tied for 19th to finish as the low SAU golfer. Brittani Casement tied for 15th to lead the Rangers.
The Golden Suns earn automatic qualification to the NCAA Central Regional. They will head to Muskogee Country Club for the Regional which takes place from May 6-8. The NCAA will announce the full field at 2 p.m. on Monday, April 29. Henderson State, Southwestern Oklahoma State, Oklahoma Baptist and Southern Nazarene have all appeared in both of the previous region rankings.