GULF SHORES, Ala. – University of South Alabama's Siti Shaari shot a tournament-best seven under on the weekend, including three under on Sunday, to lead the Jaguar women's golf program to a runaway victory at the Bama Beach Bash at the Gulf Shores Golf Club.

Shaari, who posted three straight rounds under par, picked up the first individual victory of her career. She led a group of five Jags in the top 10, with Julie Hovland (tied for second), Madison Connell (t-6th), MacKenzie Peyton (t-6th) and Lexi Worrell (8th) all posting top-10 finishes, to pace the Jaguars to a 35-shot team win.

TOURNAMENT INFORMATION
Event (Host): 2018 Bama Beach Bash (Alabama-Birmingham and South Alabama)
Dates: March 16-18 (Friday-Sunday)
Format: 54 holes (18/18/18)
Start Time: 8:30 a.m. (CST)
Course: Gulf Shores Golf Club (par 72, 6,002 yds)
Results

TEAM SCORES
1) South Alabama 286-286-284 – 856 (-8); 2) Georgia State 297-294-300 – (+27); 3) Southern Illinois 312-303-300 – 915 (+51); 4) West Florida 306-305-319 – 930 (+6); 5) Alabama State 320-316-296 – 932 (+68); (6) Alabama-Birmingham 308-317-310 – 935 (+71); 7) North Carolina A&T 316-312-316 – 944 (+80); 8) Lipscomb 342-331-328 – 1001 (+137); 9) Union University (TN) 337-348-328 – 1013 (+149); 10) Spring Hill 372-364-351 – 1087 (+223)

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
1) Siti Shaari, South Alabama, 69-71-69 – 209 (-7); T2) Julie Hovland, South Alabama, 70-72-71 – 213; T2) Chanelle Avaricio, Alabama State, 72-72-69 – 213; T2) Paloma Vaccaro, West Florida, 72-76-65-213 – 213; 5) Chloe Howard, Georgia State, 73-74-70 – 217; T6) Madison Connell, South Alabama, 75-71-73 – 219; T6) MacKenzie Peyton, South Alabama, 75-72-72 – 219; 8) Lexi Worrell, South Alabama, 72-77-72 – 221; 9) Harmanprit Kaur, Georgia State, 72-73-77 – 222; 10) Hanna Netisingha, Southern Illinois, 75-73-76 – 224
 
SOUTH ALABAMA SCORES
1) Siti Shaari, South Alabama, 69-71-69 – 209 (-7); T2) Julie Hovland, South Alabama, 70-72-71 – 213; T6) Madison Connell, South Alabama, 75-71-73 – 219; T6) MacKenzie Peyton, South Alabama, 75-72-72 – 219; 8) Lexi Worrell, South Alabama, 72-77-72 – 221; T15) Caroline Berge*, South Alabama, 81-74-74 – 229; T22) Nele Mattner*, South Alabama, 79-78-77 – 234
* - Competed as an individual

TEE SHOTS
-South Alabama led the tournament in scoring on par 3s (2.89, -8), par 4s (4.11, +13) and par 5s (4.95, -4). The Jags posted a tournament-best 170 pars, 50 birdies and had one of two eagles. USA was 26 shots better than the rest of the field on par 4 holes.
-Shaari led all individuals with a 4.67 average (-5) on par 5s for the tournament. She was tied for second in par 3s (2.87, -2) and second alone in par 4s (4.00, E).
-Hovland posted a minus-4 on par 3 holes and an average of 2.73 to rank first. Shaari and Madison Connell followed in second.
-Shaari matched her career low of 69 for the second time in three rounds and posted the best three-round total of her career. She had five birdies today – recording 13 total for the tournament to rank second – and shot par or better on 16 holes.
-Hovland's tie for second and 213 total are both season bests. She had three birdies on the front nine alone today.
-Connell played even-par golf over the final 36 holes after a first-round 75. She was three over after five holes today, but rallied with five birdies the rest of the way and had 10 birdies on the weekend to tie for third. She has three rounds of par or better in her last two tournaments.
-Peyton set new season bests with a sixth-place finish and a 219 total, and posted two rounds at par in the same tournament for the first time in 2017-18.

THEY SAID IT
Head Coach Matt Luther

On the team's overall performance… "We were just solid all week. We made very few mistakes and had a good plan for the golf course. Everybody did what they were supposed to do, made good decisions and kept the ball in front of us. This is how good this team is capable of playing."

On Shaari winning the tournament… "Today I walked with her all day and made sure she made good decisions. She hits it well enough to shoot these scores all the time. She didn't by any stretch of the imagination carry us – we were four or five players strong and everybody was making birdies."

On getting strong performances from the entire team… "It was fantastic. As coaches, we preach a lot about course management, understanding yardages into greens and where to land the ball, and it's good to see that start to pay off and have our players start to get it. "

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/USAJaguarSports. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).

Join the Chip In Club, the women's golf specific support club of the Jaguar Athletic Fund. All donations to the Chip In Club go directly to support the South Alabama women's golf program. For more information on how you can join visit: jaguarathleticfund.com/chipinclub.

—USA—