HANAHAN, S.C. – The UCF women's golf team finished strong and senior Tunrada Piddon tied for fourth among individuals in the Cougar Classic at Yeamans Hall Country Club on Tuesday.
The Knights were one of just five teams to finish the third round under par, as the Black and Gold carded a combined score of -2 for the day.
UCF ended the tournament eighth with a total score of 854 (+2) following 54 holes of stroke play. That mark is tied for the fourth best in program history for a 54-hole total, matching the mark last achieved at the UCF Challenge in 2017.
"I was really proud of how the team battled back from a slow opening nine holes," said UCF head coach Emily Marron. "We really dug deep and showed how talented this team is. We have a quick turnaround with the Mercedes Benz next week and have a lot of good energy from this event to take there."
Following a great first two rounds, Piddon picked up where she left off yesterday and fired another strong score today at -2 (69) to complete the event with a three-day total of 206 (68-69-69). She was seven-under for the tournament and her score is tied for the third best 54-hole total in program history.
Piddon recorded 15 birdies en route to claiming a fourth-place finish and her 15 birdies tied for the most of any player in the classic.
"Pat has the talent to compete for championships each and every event," Marron added. "She put herself in position to win today and really played well. With her consistency, she will find herself in that position again soon to get that title."
As a team, UCF had 45 birdies throughout the tournament, including 19 in the third round on Tuesday.
Freshman Pimpisa "Sandwhich" Sisutham also claimed a spot among the top 30, as she finished in a tie for 26th with a score of 213 (E). She carded a 73 in the third round after scoring a 71 and 69 in the first and second round, respectively, in a strong collegiate debut.
Anna Nordfors recorded a score of 216 (+3) to finish a few strokes behind Sisutham in a tie for 39th. Following a tough first round on Monday, Nordfors rebounded nicely and was -1 in the second and third rounds. She tallied nine birdies throughout the event.
Junior Jess Baker and sophomore Zoe Allaux both ended the tournament with a score of 221 (+8), earning eight and six birdies respectively. Both Baker and Allaux matched scores again on Tuesday and ended with a 72 in the third round.
Next week, the Knights travel to Knoxville, Tenn., to participate in the Mercedes Benz Intercollegiate on Monday, Sept. 19 and Tuesday, Sept. 20 at Cherokee Country Club.