Jouven Leads Lady Gators to Seventh-Place Finish at Mercedes-Benz Collegiate Championships

Sunday, October 15

Knoxville, TN

12:00 AM

Florida Gators

Mercedes-Benz Classic

Jouven Leads Lady Gators to Seventh-Place Finish at Mercedes-Benz Collegiate Championships

Sunday, October 15, 2006 | Women's Golf

The University of Florida women's golf team climbed to a seventh-place finish after carding a 297 (307-299-297=903) in the third and final round of the 10^th Annual Mercedes-Benz Collegiate Championships Sunday in Knoxville, Tenn. The Lady Gators began the 54-hole campaign tied for 11^th place after Friday's first round, but improved steadily over the last two rounds to land seventh in the 15-team field.

“We continued to play a little bit better today. After Friday's round, we figured out what we needed to do to play competitively on this difficult course, and I think we began to find our stride,” said ninth-year head coach Jill Briles-Hinton.

Redshirt sophomore Ornella Jouven (La Ciotat, France) proved to be the steadiest Lady Gator contender on the par-71, 5,932-yard Cherokee Country Club, and finished three rounds of competition with a seven-over 220 (74-73-73). Jouven's second-straight round of 73 helped her break into the top-10 on the leaderboard for the first time this season as she finished tied for ninth place.

“Ornella had a very solid tournament, and I'm happy with the way she's been playing. This tournament helps prove how far she's come, and I'm sure we'll see more of this kind of golf from her in the upcoming competitions,” said Briles-Hinton.

Junior captain Tiffany Chudy (Miramar, Fla.) notched her first top-25 performance of the season with a final-round score of 74 (76-76-74=226) to tie for 23^rd place. Chudy began the day on the back nine where she bogeyed the par-5, 460-yard 11^th hole, but dropped down to even with a birdie on the 15^th. A bogey on the 17^th hole, followed by a double bogey on the 18th, cost her three strokes before she made the turn. Chudy bounced back on the short par-3, 185-yard second hole with her sixth birdie of the tournament, but a bogey on the sixth hole led her to a final-round, three-over 74.

Junior Whitney Myers (East Berlin, Pa.) cut three strokes off her first and second-round scores of 77 as she finished Sunday's play with a 74 (77-77-74=228) and tied for 30^th. Sophomore Mallory Blackwelder (Versailles, Ky.) finished with a final score of 231 (82-73-76) to place 42^nd, while junior Eleanor Tucker (Wilson, N.C.) finished five strokes behind (80-80-76=236) and tied for 58^th place.

Redshirt sophomore C.J. Kim (Rowland Heights, Calif.) notched a 236 (86-79-82) while competing as an individual in her Lady Gators season debut and finished in 75^th place.

Host Tennessee (298-298-291=887) claimed top-team honors after defeating Georgia (296-296-295=887) by two strokes on the first playoff hole. Auburn (287-301-301=889) finished third, while Arkansas (303-296-295=894) and the Swedish Junior National Team (296-306-298=900) rounded out the top five teams, respectively.

The Lady Gators played without 2005-06 Most Valuable Player Sandra Gal (Leichlingen, Germany) for the first time since the 2004-05 season. Gal is currently in Stellenbosch, South Africa, preparing for the 2006 World Amateur Team Championships with the German National Team. The four-day, 72-hole competition will tee off on October 18.

“It was evident that Sandra (Gal) was missing from our scores this week, but I think we managed to do alright with her. She's worked very hard to make it this far, and we all wish her the best of luck next week as she competes,” Briles-Hinton concluded.

The Lady Gators will resume fall action Oct. 27-29 as they head to fellow Southeastern Conference member Auburn for its annual Auburn Derby.

Final Leaderboard

1.	*Tennessee	298	298	291	887 (+35)
2.	Georgia	296	296	295	887 (+35)
3.	Auburn	287	301	301	889 (+37)
4.	Arkansas	303	296	295	894 (+42)
5.	Swedish Junior National Team	296	306	298	900 (+48)
6.	Furman	307	302	292	901 (+49
7.	FLORIDA	307	299	297	903 (+51)
8.	North Carolina	297	311	301	909 (+57)
9.	SMU	304	299	307	910 (+58)
10.	Kent State	305	299	308	912 (+60)
11.	Michigan State	304	309	302	915 (+63)
12.	Penn State	310	305	305	920 (+68)
13.	Alabama	303	311	310	924 (+72)
14.	Northwestern	316	308	304	928 (+76)
15.	Michigan	314	313	310	937 (+26)

* - Tennessee won on the first playoff hole by two strokes

Florida Individual Scores

T9.	Ornella Jouven	74	73	73	220 (+7)
T23.	Tiffany Chudy	76	76	74	226 (+13)
T30.	Whitney Myers	77	77	74	228 (+15)
42.	Mallory Blackwelder	82	73	76	231 (+18)
T58.	Eleanor Tucker	80	80	76	236 (+23)
75.	*C.J. Kim	86	79	82	247 (+34)