VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – Puneet Bajwa went seven-under par after the first two rounds of this weekend’s sixth annual Evie Odom Invitational and added an even 70 for her final round to finish in first place on Saturday at Princess Anne Country Club.
It’s the second time that the fourth year from Mohali, India has medaled at the tournament. As a freshman in 2023, she turned in a five-under 205 to finish as the individual runner-up which led to Sun Belt Golfer of the Week honors.
“I am really happy about the form I was in the entire season and it all came together really well for the last tournament to end the [fall] season,” said Bajwa. “This event being our home tournament makes this win extra special!”
“We are all so happy for Puneet to win our home tournament. I credit her preparation before the tournament for her success this weekend. She’s had a great semester of golf and I can’t wait to see what she does this spring,” added ODU women’s head coach Mallory Kane.
For Friday’s first round, Bajwa shot an even 35 on the front nine and went two-under for a total of 68 that saw her tied for seventh. She then moved up six spots that afternoon after converting another five birdies, four of them on the first nine holes, for a five-under 65. For her final 18 holes, she tapped in three birdies but also made three bogeys for a final tally of 203 (-7).
Darby Hancock and Ellie Johnson both tied for 46th with a couple of 12-over par 222s. Julia Colombier, who was playing as an individual, was next with a 15-over 225 to tie for 58th. Lucia Gonzalez recorded an 18-over 228 to tie for 65th, while Barbara Car tied for 72nd with a three-round total of 232 (+22). Tereza Fialová was also competing as an individual and handed in a 239 (+29) to finish 76th.
Bajwa averaged 3.06 strokes for the course’s par-3s, a 3.83 for the par-4s, and a 4.67 for the par-5s. She led ODU with 11 birdies and 39 putts for par over the two days.
As a team, the Silver and Blue finished in ninth place with a combined 28-over par 868. North Florida went eight-under with a 54-hole total of 832 to win the team title, South Carolina came in second with a three-under 837, and South Alabama rounded out the top three teams with a one-under 839. UNF’s Kaitlyn Schroeder was the other individual medalist.
The Monarchs won’t be back in action until this spring when they travel to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic on Jan. 31-Feb. 2, 2027 to play in Purdue’s Dominican Republic Classic.
Team Results
1. North Florida (275-270-287 – 832) -8
2. South Carolina (281-274-282 – 837) -3
3. South Alabama (274-283-282 – 839) -1
4. Penn State (281-271-292 – 844) +4
5. Georgetown (287-276-293 – 856) +16
6. Georgia (293-278-288 – 859) +19
7. Coastal Carolina (284-282-294 – 860) +20
8. Louisville (287-278-301 – 866) +26
9. Old Dominion (289-280-299 – 868) +28
10. Sacramento State (288-295-288 – 871) +31
11. Bowling Green (293-294-299 – 886 )+46
12. Lehigh (299-294-300 – 893) +53
T13. William & Mary (303-291-308 – 902) +62
T13. Belmont (298-294-310 – 902) +62
ODU Lineup
T1. Puneet Bajwa (68-65-70 – 203) -7
T46. Darby Hancock (77-73-72 – 222) +12
T46. Ellie Johnson (75-72-75 – 222) +12
T58. Julia Colombier (80-73-72 – 225) +15*
T65. Lucia Gonzalez (76-70-82 – 228) +18
T72. Barbara Car (70-77-85 – 232) +22
76. Tereza Fialová (82-80-77 – 239) +29*
* Competed as an individual