HONOLULU, Hawai`i ? True freshman Kayla Mortellaro notched her first collegiate tournament victory with a one-stroke decision over Texas A&M’s Lauren Johnson and Osaka’s Nanae Shinzato at the Dr. Donnis Thompson Invitational.
Mortellaro closed the 54-hole tournament with a final-round 75 for a total 219 ? three-over par. She opened the tournament with a 69 before back-to-back 75s.
The freshmen-dominated Vandals closed with a 315 to finish second to Texas A&M in the 12-team field. Texas A&M won with a three-day 907. Idaho was at 913 and Indiana was at 917.
“She didn’t get off to a great start,” coach Lisa Johnson said of Mortellaro’s round, “but in the middle of her round, she was able to make some key par saves that kept her in the round then she finished very solid.”
Nerves were the biggest battle for the young Vandals in their quest for the team title. They began the day with an eight-stroke lead but inconsistencies throughout the day Wednesday were too much for them to overcome for the team title.
“We will learn and grow from the experience of being in the lead going into the final round,” Johnson said. “We wanted to win the tournament so badly we made a lot of mental mistakes as a result of being too anxious or too tense. It’s golf.
“I’m proud of the team. There’s no shame in second place.”
Also for the Vandals, freshman Teo Poplawski tied for ninth at 228; junior Amanda Jacobs was tied for 16th at 231; freshman Frida Nilsson was tied for 27th at 235, and sophomore Dani Madden was 51st at 248. Playing as individuals, freshman Annika Karlsson tied for 19th at 232 and freshman Gracie Schory tied for 53rd at 250.