The seventh-ranked Mississippi State University women’s golf team traveled to the Sunshine State last weekend to compete in the 51st annual VyStar Credit Union Gators Invitational.
Expecting to play a full three-round, 54-hole tournament, substantial rain forced the Bulldog to halt play after the first round Saturday. Due to the weather, the tournament was shortened to just two rounds with play scheduled to resume the following day.
Coming off a team title in Las Vegas, Nevada, two weeks ago, MSU had hopes of earning back-to-back team wins. This would prove to be tough, however, as the Bulldogs would have to face off against four other talented teams  including the University of Arizona, the University of Mississippi, the University of California Los Angeles and the University of Central Florida.
Led by head coach Charlie Ewing, play started out strong for the Bulldogs as they finished the outward nine shooting dead even. Things would slow down, though, as the team faced some hiccups throughout the back half.
Holes 13 and 18 proved to be the most challenging for the Bulldogs in this round. Hole 13 was the worst shot hole in the tournament by stroke average (0.57 shots over par), leading to the first of only two double bogeys for the day.
Hole 18 took a bit of getting used to, as it boasted alternating bunkers down the fairway leading to a green, which is surrounded by even more sand traps. In the first round, MSU shot a combined +4 on this hole, with the only other Bulldog double bogey of the round coming from this spot.
Nevertheless, after the first round of play, Mississippi State led by one stroke with a total score of +3. The University of Florida home squad tailed just behind the Bulldogs at +4.
Sunday’s round featured less variation in strokes, as MSU shot for par 63 times over the course of the day compared to just 55 the previous day.
The day wouldn’t be complete without some struggles, though. The only hole that gave MSU any real trouble in the second round was hole six.
Although hole six was only the seventh-worst shot hole of the tournament, it held a second-round stroke average of 0.44 shots over par. The rain from the previous day, along with a bunker that lined the entire fairway, ended up costing the Bulldogs some strokes.
Along with stellar performances by Hannah Levi and Julia Lopez Ramirez, who finished with seven birdies each. Consistency proved to be key, as MSU only had a one stroke difference between rounds. This led to a second-place finish, which MSU would split with UCF, trailing the Florida Gators by 4 strokes.
Notable accolades for MSU include Levi finishing with two sub-70 rounds and ending with her eighth top-five finish. Lopez Ramirez tied for fifth, which is her fifth top-five finish in eight events this season. Izzy Pellot finished 13th (+3), making her sixth top-20 finish in just seven events with MSU, presenting her case for a third SEC Freshman of the Week honor.
Jarutrawee Khotchagrai added a great performance to her resume with this tournament. Competing individually, Khotchagrai shot her best round to date on Sunday with an even score to finish +4 overall, landing her in 17th place, but she ranked first among those competing individually.
The next tournament for Mississippi State Women’s Golf is on the weekend of March 25, when the team travels to Tempe, Arizona, to compete in the PING/ASU Invitational.