Photo by WKU Athletics
The Lady Hilltoppers left Boston victorious behind a sensational finish by Mary Joiner.
CANTON, Mass. — Mary Joiner is 2-for-2 this season in thrilling comebacks, and 2-for-2 in titles.
This time she brought her team along for the ride.
The junior Joiner stormed back from a six-shot deficit to start the final round at the Boston College Intercollegiate, earning co-medalist honors in a tie for first. Her effort also helped the Lady Toppers win the team title in the 16-squad field.
Because of ongoing rain at the course, no playoff was used to determine an outright individual champion.
“I’m so proud of the team to get this win playing in the event for the first time,” WKU head coach Adam Gary said. “We beat some quality teams in some adverse weather. I feel like this is a big gain in momentum for the rest of the semester.
“Mary is never out of it. If she is anywhere near the lead, she is going to grab it. Great effort by her to lead the team to victory.”
Joiner’s victory is the sixth of her career and her second in as many weeks to start the 2018-19 season, after also coming back from a three-shot deficit to win South Alabama’s USA Intercollegiate last week. No other Lady Topper on record has more than two career titles, and her six triumphs are a C-USA record.
The Franklin, Ky., native will also move onto the all-time NCAA list for most career wins. Coming into the season, only 81 other women’s golfers on record had at least six career victories.
The win seemed improbable heading into Tuesday’s final round at the par-72, 6,137-yard Blue Hills Country Club. Joiner was six strokes behind College of Charleston’s Jodee Tindal entering the day, but found herself tied for the lead through 12 holes.
Her 2-under 70 in the final round tied for the best score of the entire tournament as she finished with a 220 (72-78-70) tally. Joiner also finished the tournament tied for the lead with 10 total birdies and paced the field in par-5 scoring, while the Lady Toppers led the tourney with 33 team birdies.
“I’m super excited with how the team did this week,” Joiner said. “The conditions were tough today, but we gave it all we had and were able to get it done. I was disappointed with my second round, but glad I could come back out and shoot a good round today to bring it back.”
WKU’s team championship is the sixth in coach Adam Gary‘s five seasons at the helm. Gary’s six titles are the second-most for a Lady Topper coach, and he’s the only coach in program history to win a tournament in each of his/her first five seasons with the reins.
The team lead volleyed back and forth throughout the day Tuesday, with the Lady Toppers ultimately finishing at 911 (298-309-304) – three strokes ahead of host Boston College and four ahead of College of Charleston, which made a late push for the trophy.
Behind Joiner, WKU sophomore Megan Clarke tied for 17th individually with a 229 (75-76-78) total. Freshman Lizzie Loy earned a top-20 finish in her second career tournament, tying for 19th at 230 (73-79-78).
Juniors Bailey Tyree (79-77-79) and Abigail Smee (78-78-78) each tied for 33rd at 234.
WKU is back in action at Kentucky’s Betty Lou Evans Invitational on Oct. 5-7 in Lexington, Ky.
Courtesy of WKU Athletics
