ORLANDO, Fla. – The No. 7 Virginia women’s golf team wasted little time opening its spring schedule in impressive fashion. Despite playing just one full practice round since returning to Grounds in January, the Cavaliers came away from the UCF Challenge with a third-place finish and some new entries into the program’s record book.
UVA shot an all-time best single-round score of 14-under 274 during the final round to post a school-record tying 54-hole total of 27-under 837. UVA’s score ties as the fifth best ever by an ACC team for scoring against par. Wake Forest took the team title at 45-under 819 and Kentucky was second at 31-under 833.
Virginia’s team score matched the 27-under 837 the Cavaliers recorded at the 2015 ACC Championships in winning that event. The single-round record of 14-under 274 bested the previous best 18-hole record of 13-under 275 that was set at the UCF Challenge in 2015.
A trio of Cavaliers led the team with top-10 finishes in stroke play. Leading that group was sophomore Jennifer Cleary, who finished seventh at 8-under 208. That bettered her previous best collegiate tournament score by five shots. She had a collegiate low 4-under 68 during the second round and finished the event off by shooting 69 during the final round.
Junior Celeste Valinho also set a personal tournament scoring mark by five shots, tying for ninth place at 7-under 209. Her final round score of 67 bettered her personal 18-hole scoring mark. It was the second consecutive year Valinho has placed in the top 10 at the tournament. She finished third last year with a then-career best score of 214.
Sophomore Rebecca Skoler, competing as an individual, tied with Valinho for ninth place. Her finish and 54-hole total were both career bests. She shot 69 during the opening round to match her best collegiate single-round score and followed that up with a pair of 70s to post her first top-10 finish.
Freshman Amanda Sambach was 24th overall at 4-under 212, also a career-low tournament score. Her second-round 69 equaled her best collegiate single-round score. Senior Riley Smyth was 25th at 3-under 213. She shot 67 during the final round to match her best collegiate 18-hole score. Beth Lillie was 51st at 2-over 218.
Virginia returns to action Feb. 20 when the Cavaliers compete at the Moon Golf Invitational in Melbourne, Fla., at Suntree Country Club.
UCF Challenge
Eagle Creek Golf Club
Orlando, Fla.
Par 72, 6,349 yards
Final Results
Team Results
1. Wake Forest 277-269-273-819
2. Kentucky 276-279-278-833
3. Virginia 286-277-274-837
4. Col. of Charleston 288-276-281-845
5. Auburn 279-278-291-848
6. Michigan State 284-283-284-851
7. Kent State 292-278-282-852
8. Miami 279-290-285-854
9. Iowa State 286-289-282-857
10. NC State 282-283-294-859
11. UCF 287-287-288-862
12. Minnesota 291-287-288-866
13. Ohio State 291-287-289-867
14. Old Dominion 282-296-290-868
15. Houston 285-287-297-869
16. Maryland 291-294-287-872
16. UNC Wilmington 296-283-293-872
18. Penn State 296-287-297-880
Individual Leaders
1. Carolina Lopez-Chacarra, Wake Forest 69-66-62-197
2. Jensen Castle, Kentucky 66-69-66-201
3. Rachael Kuehn, Wake Forest 67-67-70-204
Virginia First-Round Scores
7. Jennifer Cleary 71-68-69-208
9. Celeste Valinho 72-70-67-209
24. Amanda Sambach 72-69-71-212
25. Riley Smyth 71-75-67-213
51. Beth Lillie 76-70-72-218
9. Rebecca Skoler* 69-70-70-209
* Competing as an individual