HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Arkansas Tech posted a 17-shot victory at the 2018 Great American Conference Women’s Golf Championship on Tuesday, its fourth consecutive league title. The Golden Suns Peerada Piddon set tournament scoring and winning margin records as the individual champion.
Piddon, the unanimous GAC Player of the Year, carded the low round of the tournament, a 2-under par 70, to finish nine shots clear of her closest competitors. Her three-day total of 3-under 213 broke the tournament record by three strokes. Her teammate, Pia Nunbhakdi, posted an even-par round and finished as the runner up. Holly Standing also registered a top-10 finish.
For the first time in the program’s GAC history, Southwestern Oklahoma State placed second. Gloria Choi joined Nunbhakdi in a tie for second. Tracy McGill moved up 10 spots into a tie for eighth and Elin Wahlin improved her standing by six shots to finish in sixth.
Henderson State maintained her position of third. Luisa Gartmann garnered All-Tournament honors as she tied for fourth after carding a 76. Hanna Brauburger jumped 10 places to tie for 13
th after shooting a 5-over 77. Southern Arkansas’ Helle Leed matched Gartmann with a 76 and joined her in a share of fourth place. Leed’s fourth-place finish represented the best finish for a Lady Mulerider at the GAC Championships.
Oklahoma Baptist took fifth, six shots ahead of Arkansas-Monticello. Michelle Carr finished as low Lady Bison as she took seventh. Elly Baze shared 11
th. UAM’s Belle Tan broke 80 for the first time at this year’s tournament and moved up into a tie for 17
th. The Blossoms passed Southern Nazarene as they bested the Crimson Storm by 14 shots.
The Crimson Storm, Harding and Northwestern Oklahoma State rounded out the team standings. The Rangers’ Kelsi Wilson completed the first top-10 finish at the GAC Championships in program history as she tied for eighth after posting a final-round 81.
The Golden Suns earned an automatic bid the NCAA Central Super Regional. SWOSU, Henderson State and Oklahoma Baptist entered the tournament ranked inside the 12 with SAU and Harding slotted 13
th and 14
th, respectively. The NCAA will announce the team and individual participants on Sunday.