GCU wins Pat Lesser Harbottle Invitational team title

Monday, October 2

Lakewood, Wash. | Tacoma Country Club & Golf Club

Grand Canyon

Pat Lesser Harbottle Invitational

10/3/2023 3:18:00 PM | Women's Golf

FINAL RESULTS

Lopes conquer 22-team field in Washington for 2nd fall tournament victory

By: Nick Macdonald

LAKEWOOD, Wash. — The Grand Canyon women's golf team entered Tuesday's Pat Lesser Harbottle Invitational final round six strokes back of the lead, needing one of its best rounds of the season to move to the top.

GCU broke the 18-hole, four-player program record last month in Provo, Utah, carding a second-round 278 en route to winning the Timpanogos Collegiate Invitational in Utah. On Tuesday in Washington, the Lopes shot two strokes shy of that record with an 8-under 280 final round that propelled them to a first-place finish at 2 over par.

The victory marks the first time that Lopes have won two of their first three tournaments in a season and already matches the program record for tournament titles in a season. The Lopes have won two tournaments for a fourth consecutive season.

In one of its best single-round performances in its Division I era, GCU totaled 24 birdies and saw all six golfers shoot par or better in the third round at Tacoma Country and Golf Club. The Lopes' combined front nine included 14 birdies to just six bogeys with the rest being pars. In battling back from six down of the lead, the Lopes headed into the final nine holes in second place.

GCU senior Carly Strole entered Tuesday tied for fourth place at 1 under after scores of 73 and 70. Strole shot her best score in the third round, a 3-under 69 that moved her to second place in a 119-player field and just one stroke behind medalist Leah John of Nevada. Strole had 11 of GCU's 44 birdies for the tournament, with the team's 44 birdies being six more than the next highest team total.

Lopes sophomore Ryan Flynn tied for eighth place with an even scorecard through 54 holes. Flynn shot even par Tuesday with three birdies, two of which came in the back nine. Senior teammate Constanza Guerrero jumped 22 spots into a tie for 13th place after a 3-under final round that included six birdies. Guerrero finished 2 over for the tournament.

GCU junior Leighton Shosted tied for 31st at 6 over with a 2-under final round score. Senior Becca Tschetter tied for 43rd at 8 over and shot even on Tuesday. The duo combined for seven birdies. Lopes freshman Lena Tremouille, who competed in her first collegiate event, tied for 36th at 7 over as an individual entry. She shot 1 under Tuesday with four birdies, including three in a six-hole stretch between holes four and nine.

The Lopes led the field in par-3 scoring (1 over) and par-4 scoring (12 over), as well as tying for the sixth most pars with 175.

GCU takes close to a month off before heading to Paradise Islands, Bahamas, to partake in the White Sands Invitational at the Ocean Club Golf Course. Competition begins Oct. 27 and goes through Oct. 29.