Sophomore Morgan Smith led the Georgia women’s golf team to an eighth-place finish at the Illini Invitational, held at Medinah Country Club. Smith’s performance saw her finish as the individual runner-up with a career-best 10-under 206, tying for the fifth-best individual score in Georgia program history. Her efforts, along with strong team performances, helped the Bulldogs post a 5-under team score across the two-day tournament.
This marked Georgia’s fourth consecutive appearance at the Illini Invitational, which featured a strong field of 15 teams, including four ranked in the latest Women’s Golf Coaches Association (WGCA) Coaches Poll. Among the ranked teams were No. 5 UCLA, No. 6 Auburn, No. 19 Ole Miss and No. 23 Pepperdine.
Coming off a 13th-place finish at the Windy City Invitational a week earlier, the Bulldogs were looking for improvement. The team’s lineup featured five returning players, with freshman Zixin “Candice” Lou making her collegiate debut as an individual competitor.
Georgia got off to a slow start on Monday, finishing the first round in 13th place after an 8-over round. However, the team made an impressive comeback in the second round, recording 23 birdies and an eagle to post a 12-under 276, the third-lowest score in program history, bumping them to seventh on the leaderboard.
The Bulldogs then capped off the tournament with a solid final round, posting a 1-under score on Tuesday. In addition to Smith’s standout 6-under 66 in the final round, graduate student Chantal El Chaib carded an even-par 72, senior Kate Song shot a 74 and sophomore Grace Frei added a 75 to round out the team’s counting scores.
El Chaib finished tied for 29th overall with a 2-under 214, while Celine Brovold Sanne tied for 52nd with a 220. Song finished tied for 59th at 221, and Frei tied for 78th at 229. Freshman Zixin “Candice” Lou, who competed as an individual, tied for 82nd with a 230.
“This tournament was a building block in the process, and it’s awesome to see how the team is responding and stepping up,” head coach Erika Brennan said. “Huge congrats to Morgan, who was all gas from start to finish! A runner-up finish in this field is huge, and it’s a testament to her work ethic and mental strength. This team can achieve at a high level, and we’re working to keep those dots connected over three rounds. Coach DS and I are pumped that we have a bit of time in town to prepare before our final tournament of the fall.”
The Bulldogs will now turn their attention to their final tournament of the fall season, the White Sands Invitational, hosted by Texas A&M from Oct. 18-20 at the Ocean Club Golf Course in the Bahamas.
