The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga women's golf team seemed to be mired in the middle of the pack on Monday.
Then they surged to second place of the Southern Conference tournament by shooting 4 over on the last four holes to post a 15-over-par 303 and moved into second place just four shots behind UNC Greensboro heading into the final round today.
"We just took care of business today," coach Colette Murray said over the phone. "I don't think it was anything spectacular. We played our round early, and it seemed that everybody else dropped off."
Sophomore Jordan Britt shot the best round of the tournament and posted a 1-under 71 to take the individual lead at 4-over 148. Senior teammate Maria Juliana Loza shot 2 over and moved into a tie for second place at 7 over with Alexa Rancourt of Furman.
"Jordan is playing her game and she loves this course," Murray said. "She's doing her thing.
"[Loza] and Jordan are carrying the weight which is good for us, but everybody knows they have to pull their weight a little bit."
UTC trimmed 14 strokes off their first-round score from Sunday to shoot 303 which topped UNCG's first-round score by three shots. The College of Charleston is in third place and 11 shots behind UTC.
Murray said before the tournament that UTC must win the SoCon in order to advance to the NCAA regionals.
Being four strokes back heading into the final round, the Mocs have got a shot. After all, Loza has finished in the top five the last two years at this tournament. Just one round remains.
"We're going to play our game and not worry about anybody else," Murray said. "We're not leading by 20-something shots like last year. We have a tough day ahead of us.
"They need to stay calm and collected. All they can do is give it their best."
Contact David Uchiyama at duchiyama@timesfreepress.com or at 423-757-6484. Follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/UchiyamaCTFP.
David Uchiyama is a sports writer at the Chattanooga Times Free Press who began his tenure here in May 2001. His primary beats are UTC athletics — specifically men’s basketball and athletic department administration — and golf, which includes coverage from the PGA Tour to youth events. He also covers other high school sports, outdoor adventures, and contributes to other sections of the newspaper when necessary. David grew up in Salinas, Calif., and began working ...
