Furman Fires Final Round 300 at NCAA Golf Championships

May 20, 2005

SUNRIVER, Ore. -

Furman's 15^th-ranked Lady Paladin golf team fired a final round 300 to finish 21^st with a four-round 1,217 total at the 2005 NCAA Division I Women's Golf Tournament at the Sunriver Resort's Meadows Course.

Sophomore Monique Gesualdi (St. Augustine, Fla.) paced Furman on the day with a two-over 73 at the 6,300-yard course, and finished the tournament tied for 98^th at 310, while junior Connor Atkinson (Charleston, S.C.) added a 74 to the Lady Paladin total and shot 308 to tie for 88^th for the four days.   Furman's top finisher for the championship was sophomore Jenny  Suh (Fairfax, Va.), who carded a 77 on Friday, and finished tied for 45^th with a 300 for the event.  Sophomore Theresa Paik (Silver Spring, Md.) fired a 76 on Friday and finished tied for 92^nd at 309, while freshman Sarah Sturm (Spartanburg, S.C.) carded a final round 79 to finish tied for 103^rd at 311.

"While we did not play as well as we had hoped or as well as we think we are capable of playing, I think this championship experience will be beneficial to us in the coming years," said coach Mic Potter.  "We will take away from this championship a better understanding of the kind of commitment it takes to reach the very highest levels of women's golf, and that can serve to our advantage."

The 2005 NCAA Championships marked the 15^th time in program history the Lady Paladins have advanced to the finals of the Division I Golf Tournament.  In 2004, Furman earned its first bid to the NCAAs since 1999, and recorded a 15^th-place finish.

All five members of the Lady Paladin squad will be back on the team next season.

T45      Jenny Suh                      77-73-73-77=300

T88      Connor Atkinson            79-74-81-74=308

T92      Theresa Paik                  78-73-82-76=309

T98      Monique Gesualdi          76-81-80-73=310

T103    Sarah Sturm                  76-81-75-79=311