Winthrop

NINETY SIX, SC- The Winthrop women finished third in the 2010 Big South Women's Golf Championship that was completed Wednesday afternoon at The Patriot Golf Club at Grand Harbor in Ninety Six, SC.

Winthrop, which had made a push after two rounds to get itself into contention, shot it's highest score of the tournament as windy conditions played havoc with most of the players' performances.  The Lady Eagles did get All-Conference performances from senior Rachel Smith (Mansfield, TX) and sophomore Kayla Cline (Socorro, NM) who finished fifth and sixth, respectively.  Smith shot 77 on Wednesday and finished at 10-over 226 (76-73-77).  Cline, who entered the final day just one shot out of the lead, fell to 82 and finish at 227 (74-71-82). 

Charleston Southern's Olivia Jordan-Higgins carded a 2-under 70 for the second time this week to win medalist honors with a Conference Championship-record 1-under par 215 (70-75-70).  She entered the final round in a three-way tie for second-place at 145 with Coastal Carolina's Aruka Felgueroso and Winthrop's Cline.  Bucknell's 

After finishing as the individual runner-up the past two years, Jordan-Higgins becomes the first player in Big South history to finish under par in the Women's Golf Championship.   Following the top three finishers was  Radford in fourth with a 929, its best 54-hole total in the Big South Championship.  Gardner-Webb placed fifth with a 938, just ahead of associate member Bucknell (944).  High Point is seventh at 967, while associate member Holy Cross finished eighth with a 1,024.  Presbyterian College tallied a 322 on Wednesday and concluded the tournament at 950, but the Blue Hose's results do not officially count in the individual or team standings as part of their transition process to Division I.