HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Arkansas Tech freshman Pia Nunbhakdi capped her stellar month of April by leading the Golden Suns to their second Great American Conference Women’s Golf Championship crown. She defeated Southwestern Oklahoma State’s Elin Wahlin in a playoff to garner the Citizens Bank medalist award.
Nunbhakdi entered the final round six shots out of the lead. She made three birdies against only two bogeys to shoot a 1-under-par 71. Wahlin joined her in the playoff by shooting a 74. The two freshmen headed back to the par-3 15th hole. Nunbhakdi played first and found the green. Wahlin, meanwhile, came up short of the putting surface. Nunbhakdi two putted for a par to secure the win. She joined former Golden Sun All-American Rebecka Surtevall as the only freshmen to win the individual title at the GAC Championships. In three April tournaments, Nunbhakdi finished ninth, sixth and first after not finishing in the top 10 in any of her previous starts.
FINAL ROUND RESULTS || PHOTO GALLERY
Tech’s team score of 4-over 292 established an 18-hole record for the GAC Championships. GAC Player of the Year Anna Frandsen moved up seven spots after registering the low round of the tournament, a 2-under 70 that gave her a third-place finish. Jessica Sachs shot 75 and finished sixth while Caroline Fredensborg’s second-straight 76 resulted in a 10th-place finish.
After matching SWOSU in each of the first two rounds, Henderson State bested the Lady Bulldogs in the final around as the Reddies’ team score of 300 earned them a second-place finish for the third time in four years. All five HSU golfers finished inside the top 15, led by Christian Barrett’s tie for third place. Luisa Gartmann posted the low round for the team, a 1-over 73.
For the fourth time in five years, the Lady Bulldogs took fourth place. Gloria Choi finished one shot out of the playoff and shared third place. Southern Nazarene took fourth, edging Arkansas-Monticello by three shots. The Crimson Storm’s Marion Broedys, the 36-hole leader, wound up tied for seventh place. Frida Rydberg led the Blossoms as she finished in ninth place.
East Central finished in sixth position, three strokes ahead of Southern Arkansas. The Tigers’ Madelyn Lehr led the team with a 27th-place finish. Helle Leed matched the best individual finish at the GAC Championships for a Lady Mulerider as she tied for 10th.
Harding took eighth, followed by Northwestern Oklahoma State. Both the Lady Bisons and Rangers shot their lowest round of the tournament on Tuesday. Oklahoma Baptist’s Taylor Hildebrand’s three-round score of 240 paced the Bison and netted her a tie for 17th place.