Women’s Golf: Cavaliers ride record-setting effort at UCF Challenge

Courtesy UVA Media Relations

The No. 7 Virginia women’s golf team wasted little time opening its spring schedule in impressive fashion. Despite playing just one full practice round since returning to Grounds in January, the Cavaliers came away from the UCF Challenge with a third-place finish and some new entries into the program’s record book.

UVA shot an all-time best single-round score of 14-under 274 during Tuesday’s final round to post a school-record tying 54-hole total of 27-under 837. UVA’s score ties as the fifth best ever by an ACC team for scoring against par. Wake Forest took the team title at 45-under 819 and Kentucky was second at 31-under 833.

Virginia’s team score matched the 27-under 837 the Cavaliers recorded at the 2015 ACC Championships in winning that event. The single-round record of 14-under 274 bested the previous best 18-hole record of 13-under 275 that was set at the UCF Challenge in 2015.

A trio of Cavaliers led the team with top-10 finishes in stroke play. Leading that group was sophomore Jennifer Cleary, who finished seventh at 8-under 208. That bettered her previous best collegiate tournament score by five shots. She had a collegiate low 4-under 68 during the second round and finished the event off by shooting 69 during the final round.

Junior Celeste Valinho also set a personal tournament scoring mark by five shots, tying for ninth place at 7-under 209. Her final round score of 67 bettered her personal 18-hole scoring mark. It was the second consecutive year Valinho has placed in the top 10 at the tournament. She finished third last year with a then-career best score of 214.

Sophomore Rebecca Skoler, competing as an individual, tied with Valinho for ninth place. Her finish and 54-hole total were both career bests. She shot 69 during the opening round to match her best collegiate single-round score and followed that up with a pair of 70s to post her first top-10 finish.

Freshman Amanda Sambach was 24th overall at 4-under 212, also a career-low tournament score. Her second-round 69 equaled her best collegiate single-round score. Senior Riley Smyth was 25th at 3-under 213. She shot 67 during the final round to match her best collegiate 18-hole score. Beth Lillie was 51st at 2-over 218.

Virginia returns to action Feb. 20 when the Cavaliers compete at the Moon Golf Invitational in Melbourne, Fla., at Suntree Country Club.

UCF Challenge

Eagle Creek Golf Club
Orlando, Fla.
Par 72, 6,349 yards
Final Results

Team Results

1. Wake Forest         277-269-273-819
2. Kentucky            276-279-278-833
3. Virginia            286-277-274-837
4. Col. of Charleston  288-276-281-845
5. Auburn              279-278-291-848
6. Michigan State      284-283-284-851
7. Kent State          292-278-282-852
8. Miami               279-290-285-854
9. Iowa State          286-289-282-857
10. NC State            282-283-294-859
11. UCF                 287-287-288-862
12. Minnesota           291-287-288-866
13. Ohio State          291-287-289-867
14. Old Dominion        282-296-290-868
15. Houston             285-287-297-869
16. Maryland            291-294-287-872
17. UNC Wilmington      296-283-293-872
18. Penn State          296-287-297-880

Individual Leaders

1. Carolina Lopez-Chacarra, Wake Forest  69-66-62-197
2. Jensen Castle, Kentucky               66-69-66-201
3. Rachael Kuehn, Wake Forest            67-67-70-204

Virginia First-Round Scores

7. Jennifer Cleary  71-68-69-208
8. Celeste Valinho  72-70-67-209
9. Amanda Sambach   72-69-71-212
10. Riley Smyth      71-75-67-213
11. Beth Lillie      76-70-72-218
12. Rebecca Skoler*  69-70-70-209

* Competing as an individual