WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – Jana Melichova shot under par in her final two rounds en route to a score of 214 (-2) and a fourth-place finish at the William & Mary Fall Invitational on Monday. As a whole, the Old Dominion women's golf team placed fifth in the first event of the fall season.
"It was great to get our season started so close to home," head coach Mallory Hetzel said. "We loved the opportunity to play in front of family and friends. A few shots better, and we would have been on top of the leaderboard. We are looking forward to getting back to work as we prepare for Wisconsin this weekend. This is a special group, and we are excited for the next few weeks of competition."
Melichova's top-five finish is the fifth of her ODU career. The senior from Pikovice, Czech Republic also has nine top-10 results.
After an opening round 74 (+2) at the par-72, 6,219-yard Kingsmill Resort River Course, Melichova shot a three-under 69, the best score by a Monarch at the event, on Sunday afternoon to vault 16 spots up the leaderboard. She then closed out the tournament with a 71 on Monday.
A second team All-Conference USA honoree in the spring, Melichova was the top player in the field in par-5 scoring, finishing at 5-under. Her nine total birdies were tied for eighth-most in the field of 79, and she had the fourth-most pars (40) as well.
Federica Torre finished in a tie for 14th in her first competitive event for Old Dominion at 4-over 220. She opened the tournament with a 1-under 71 on Sunday morning before following with a 74 and 75. She carded the third-most pars (41) among the field.
Leah Onosato ended up two strokes behind Torre in a tie for 22nd. Her best round of the tournament came on Sunday afternoon, when she shot a 71 in the second round. The native of Kumamoto, Japan was one of four individuals to card an eagle – finishing off the 380-yard par-4 18th hole in two shots in the first round.
Sarah Busey tied for 33rd at 226 in her debut event for the Monarchs. After shooting a 79 in the first round, Busey rebounded with scores of 73 and 74 in the subsequent rounds. Elsie Verhoeven rounded out Old Dominion's scoring five at 234 and a tie for 57th.
Competing as an individual, Pilar Muguruza carded a 230 and finished in a tie for 46th.
The Monarchs were the lowest-scoring team on par-5 holes at the event, going a collective 11-under par. ODU also ranked fourth in par-4 scoring, birdies (33) and pars (177).
James Madison edged out Princeton by a single shot to win the team title, finishing at 6-over 870.
Florida Atlantic's Letizia Bagnoli won individual medalist honors with an 8-under-par score of 208, four strokes better than runner-up Tiffany Kong of Princeton.
Old Dominion returns to competition next Sunday with the three-day Badger Invitational, hosted by Wisconsin at University Ridge Golf Course.
ODU Lineup
4. Jana Melichova – 74-69-71 – 214
T14. Federica Torre – 71-74-75 – 220
T22. Leah Onosato – 74-71-77 – 222
T33. Sarah Busey – 79-73-74 – 226
T46. Pilar Muguruza* – 77-77-76 – 230
T57. Elsie Verhoeven – 82-79-73 – 234
*competing as an individual
Team Leaderboard
1. James Madison – 287-287-296 – 870
2. Princeton – 290-290-291 – 871
3. UNCW – 288-291-296 – 875
4. Boston University – 299-287-290 – 876
5. Old Dominion – 298-287-293 – 878
6. Florida Atlantic – 289-294-301 – 884
7. Richmond – 300-301-296 – 897
8. Longwood – 307-303-292 – 902
9. Navy – 309-295-299 – 903
10. William & Mary – 297-301-307 – 905
11. Delaware State – 294-307-305 – 906
12. Towson – 307-299-306 – 912
13. Marshall – 311-303-305 – 919
14. Radford – 316-306-310 – 932
15. Howard – 316-312-322 – 950
Melichova Finishes Fourth, Women’s Golf Fifth at William & Mary Fall Invitational
