Nov. 30, 2011

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COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The Maryland women's golf team completed its fall schedule a little over a month ago with a second-place finish at the Palmetto Intercollegiate capping a successful fall season which featured three top-2 finishes including back-to-back tournament championships for the first time in over five years.

By capturing team titles at the UNCG/Starmount Classic and the Lady Pirate Invitational, the Terps won consecutive tournament championships for the first time since Maryland won the Pinehurst Challenge and the Lady Herd/El Diablo Intercollegiate in March 2006.

"I am extremely pleased with our play this fall," said Director of Intercollegiate Golf Jason Rodenhaver. "We won back-to-back events, and almost pulled off three in a row with a runner-up finish at Kiawah [Island]. Our players have been working hard in the offseason and we look forward to having a great spring."

In addition, the Terps dropped their 18-hole and 54-hole scoring averages to the lowest levels in more than a decade. Maryland's 18-hole average is 298.7 and its 54-hole average is 890.8, five and 18 strokes lower, respectively, than the end of last season.

And in the final round of the Palmetto Intercollegiate, the Terrapins carded a 288 which is the team's lowest 18-hole score since Maryland fired a 283 in the first round of the John Kirk/Lady Panther Intercollegiate on April 2, 2007.

Maryland's strong fall finish coincided with a jump in Golfweek's collegiate rankings and moved three Terps into the Atlantic Coast Conference's top-10 in scoring led by freshman Juliet Vongphoumy.

The Terps are ranked 56th in Golfweek's latest rankings, which is eight spots higher than last season, and Vongphoumy, who earned three top-10 finishes in the fall, is fifth in the ACC in scoring with a 73.79 strokes per round average.

Senior Jessica Hollandsworth is seventh in the conference with a 74.43 average. Hollandsworth, Maryland's single-season scoring leader, had three top-20 finishes in the fall including a third-place finish at the UNCG/Starmount Classic.

Junior Christine Shimel rounds out the top-10 Terrapin contingent. Shimel is averaging 74.93 stokes per 18 holes which ranks ninth in the ACC. Shimel finished in the top-10 twice this season including a sixth-place finish at the UNCG/Starmount Classic.

The Terps faced a stiff challenge to start the season. Maryland traveled to Hanahan, S.C., to participate in the Cougar Classic at Yeamans Hall Country Club. The event featured 10 teams currently ranked in Golfweek's Top-25. Led by Hollandsworth, the Terps finished 14th.

One week later, Maryland traveled to Simpsonville, Ky., for the Wild Eggs Cardinal Cup at The Cardinal Club. Vongphoumy earned her first top-10 finish of her career with a 6-over 150 to lead Maryland to an 11th-place finish.

The third stop on the fall calendar for Maryland took the team to Greensboro, N.C., for the UNCG/Starmount Classic at Starmount Forest Country Club. The Terrapins placed three golfers in the top-10 as Maryland won its first tournament championship in a year. Vongphoumy placed third, and Hollandsworth and Shimel tied for third and sixth, respectively.

Maryland repeated its success the following week at the Lady Pirate Invitational at Greenville Country Club in Greenville, N.C. The Terps repeated as champions after Vongphoumy finished second for the second consecutive week and Shimel tied for seventh.

The Palmetto Intercollegiate at the Oak Point course at Kiawah Island, S.C., was the final stop for the Terps. Junior Hayley Brown carded a 3-over 219, the lowest of her career, as Maryland placed second.

The Terps begin their spring schedule at the JMU/Eagle Landing Invitational in Jacksonville, Fla., on March 9.