The Ole Miss women’s golf team traveled to Knoxville, Tennessee, this week to open its 2018-19 campaign at the Mercedes-Benz Intercollegiate. The Rebels used a third-round 283(-1) to vault from T11th to T9th on the final day of the tourney. The final round score of 283 was the third-lowest team total in school history, and it tied for the lowest team score on the day.
“I’m really proud of how they bounced back after yesterday and tied the low round of the day,” head coach Kory Henkes told Ole Miss Athletics, following the Rebels’ final-round 283(-1).
Julia Johnson surveys the ball in flight during the 2018 NCAA Women’s Golf Championship practice round in May. Photo courtesy: Bruce Waterfield/Oklahoma State Athletics
Henkes began the season with a lineup full of both experience and young talent. Two seniors and three underclassmen made up the Rebels’ opening lineup. Seniors Kie Purdom and Martina Flori brought experience to the lineup, with sophomores Conner Beth Ball and Julia Johnson looking to build off of impressive freshman seasons. Freshman Ellen Hutchinson-Kay found herself in the lineup, making her first career start for Ole Miss.
The Rebels opened with an opening-round 311(+27), placing them at T14th after the first round. Ole Miss bounced back in round two, finishing with a team total of 297(+13) to bring the Rebels’ two-day total to 608(+40). After two rounds, the Rebels found themselves in the middle of the Mercedes-Benz Intercollegiate leaderboard at T11th, trailing Charlotte by 23 strokes. Ole Miss matched Kent State with the lowest team score in the final round, with a team total of 283. The impressive final round brought the Rebels’ three-round total to 891(+39), leading to a T9th finish in the 17-team field.
Johnson led the Rebels with a three-round total of 219(+6), placing her T12th in the 85-player field. Hutchinson-Kay had a great start to her career, finishing with a three-round total of 222(+9) that placed her T23rd.
Kie Purdom drives the ball during Ole Miss Women’s Golf practice last week. Photo courtesy: Petre Thomas/Ole Miss Athletics
Ball finished the Mercedes-Benz Intercollegiate with a three-day total of 225(+12), including a final-round 72 that put her in T38th place. Purdom finished strong with a final round 69, bringing her three-round total to 225(+12), placing her at T38th. Flori played in two rounds, finishing with a two-round total of 162(+20) to finish the tournament T70th. She had the only eagle for the Rebels throughout the three rounds, eagling the par-5 11th hole.
“The final round will give us momentum we need as we head to our next tournament in Denver,” Henkes said.
That momentum will be important, as the tournament itself was not overwhelmingly impressive for an Ole Miss team expected to rank among the top teams in collegiate women’s golf this season. Carrying the stellar form of the concluding day of play forward will result in the Rebels fulfilling those expectations.
