In its most impressive showing of the fall, the ASU women's golf team captured third place over the weekend at the UNC-Wilmington Landfall Tradition.
The 12-team inaugural event was held Nov. 1-3 at the par 72, 6,067-yard River Landing Country Club in Wilmington, North Carolina.
The fourth tournament of the year proved crucial to the Sun Devils' success as they carded two of their best rounds this year, a 298 opening round and a 296 final round. The two scores, coupled with a middle round of 303, gave ASU a season-low total 33-over par 897.
ASU missed the runner-up position by one stroke to Florida State (896) and were just four shots behind tournament champion Tulsa (893). Wake Forest checked in fourth with an 899 while Purdue rounded out the top-five with a three-day total of 900. Host UNC Wilmington finished seventh with a score of 923.
Individually, the Sun Devils had plenty to cheer about, as four ASU golfers finished within the top-20 in the tournament. After firing a round of even par to close out the tournament, freshman Alissa Kuczka took seventh with a 6-over 222 (74-76-72). Senior Blair O'Neal and freshman Sara Jones checked in right behind Kuczka, as each tied for eighth with scores of 7-over 223 (76-74-73 and 72-76-75 respectively).
Sophomore Josefin Gustafsson was ASU's fourth and final top-20 finisher, as she tied for 20th at 13-over 229 (76-77-76). Senior Gaëlle Truet rounded out the Sun Devil lineup as she tied for 51st with a score of 243 (76-81-86).
Individual medalist honor went to Wake Forest senior Nuria Clau who finished at 2-under 214 (71-71-72). It was the first outright collegiate tournament victory for Clau, a native of Barcelona, Spain. As a freshman, she tied for first in the Mercedes-Benz Collegiate, but lost in a playoff.
The Sun Devils will now take the next three months to prepare for the spring portion of the season, which begins Feb. 10-12 at the TRW Regional Challenge in Palos Verdes, Calif. The Sun Devils placed fourth in that tournament while competing last season.
Reach the reporter at casey.pritchard@asu.edu.
