Ou Earns All-American Honors and Lady Flyers Finish 10th at NJCAA Women's Golf Championship
Sandhills Community College shook off a first round team score that was more than 30 strokes above its season average and finished 10th in a field of 20 teams at last week's NJCAA Women's Golf National Championship in Mesa, Arizona.
Freshman Shirley Ou became the first-ever Lady Flyer golfer to earn All-American honors. She received honorable mention recognition by finishing in 14th place after rounds of 83-82-75-73-313. The previous best finish for the program as a team was 11th place in both 2013 and 2015.
Daytona State (FL) shot even-par for the 72 holes on the way to its third national title in a row and 10th in the last 20 years by 40 strokes over second place Seminole State (FL). Jiwon Jeon and Grace St. Germain of the champions posted scores of even-par to share medalist honors.
There were 116 golfers in all that teed it up at Longbow Golf Course. The other scores for the Lady Flyers were: Parker Watson, tie 41st 91-83-82-82-338, Amanda Hill, 61st 96-86-91-80-353, Danielle Mirovich, tie 63rd 100-85-88-87-360 and Alicia Dunlap, 107th 98-106-109-109-422.
None of the members of Coach Herb Pike's squad had ever been to Arizona before. They knew that playing in the desert would present a different and difficult challenge.
"I've never seen anything like it," sophomore Amanda Hill said of the both the scenery and the golf course. "The course is all about placement. If you don't hit the ball in the fairway you are in the desert which is basically rocks."
The Flyers got in one practice round before the Monday start of the tournament. According to Pike the greens were very hard and not as receptive to approach shots as the ones his players were accustomed to. The first-day highlight was Dunlap's lowest 18-hole score of the season.
"It was a combination of a tough golf course and first-day jitters, I guess," Pike said. "Afterward, we just said that this is what happened and let's play smarter."
The second and third round Flyer team scores showed an improvement of 32 strokes each day. The final day total of 322, that included a 73 by Ou and an 80 by Hill, was the fourth best in the field and the team's lowest of the season. Ou's 148 total for the final 36 holes was the fifth lowest of all golfers.
"I think we were all shocked," Hill said of the difficulties in the opening round, "but it helped us learn how to play the course. If all of us had played our normal rounds the first day we easily would have been in the top five."
Hill, who is headed for East Carolina, and Watson, who is Campbell University-bound, concluded their college golf careers. Most of the Flyer contingent, that included assistant coach Bonnie McGowan and family members, toured the Grand Canyon the next day. Hill and her family took a side trip to California.
"We were happy about moving from 17th place after the first day, and 13th going into the last day, to 10th," Pike said. "Everybody was excited about Shirley moving into the top 18 and getting All-American honors."
Team scores (top five and Sandhills) – 1. Daytona State 289 289 287 287 1152, 2. Seminole State- 308 306 284 294 1192, 3. McLennan CC 338 313 316 313 1280, 4. Dodge City CC 334 319 316 334 1303, 5. Western Texas CC 329 317 331 342 1319 10. Sandhills CC 368 336 336 322 1362.
C. Bergmann