PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla.— Following three delays due to inclement weather and questions as to whether the champions course at PGA National was playable, the NAIA Committee decided to cancel the final round of the 2018 National Championship. Because the round could not be completed, the tournament was ruled a 54-hole contest and scores from the end of the third round became official. Southeastern finished 14th out of 30 teams in the tournament as the Fire shot a 971 (+107) through three rounds of play.
Ana Uribe was the top competitor for Southeastern at the event, scoring a 77 and a 78 on the first and third days, respectively, including a 34 (-2) back-nine on day three. She concluded 54 holes with a score of 236 (+20), which was the 35th-lowest individual score of any competitor in the championship.
Valentina Espinosa ranked second on the team with a 243 (+27). The freshman from Barranquilla, Colombia did not record a score higher than 82 on any round and joined Uribe as the only two players to notch birdies every 18 holes.
Sarah Noto registered the best round by any Fire player, a 75 first-round score. The junior added birdies on three holes, while tallying 11 pars en route to the impressive result. Noto ended the shortened competition with a 247 (+31).
Brooke Wetzel and Lindsey Gonzalez rounded out the squad with a 250 (+34) and a 259 (+43). Wetzel birdied a team-high three consecutive holes in what would be the final round, while Gonzalez shot a personal tournament-best 80 in the first round.
Overall, the Fire recorded an extraordinary 312 (+24) in the opening round and were tied for fourth place before slipping to 14th with rounds of 332 and 327.
Southeastern’s roster at the National Championship consisted of one junior, one sophomore, and three freshmen, so the young team, who was nationally ranked for the entirety of the 2018 campaign, should have high hopes heading into next season.
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