PAWLEY'S ISLAND, S.C.- Junior Taylor Dodson finished in second-place overall at The 2015 Golfweek Program Challenge hosted at the 6,920 yard, par 71 Caledonia Golf and Fish Club in Pawley's Island, S.C.
Playing in their first event of the fall season the Runnin' Bulldogs women's golf team shot rounds of 297, 303, and 293 to put together a total three-day score of 893, +41, good enough for fifth-place overall finish.
Dodson had a very strong showing at the Program Challenge shooting an opening round of 70 1-under par, followed by a wonderful 67, 4-under par, and a final round of even par 71 to finish 5-under par, 208, just one stroke back of the medalist.
Dodson was tied for first on the weekend in birdies made and in par 4 scoring holing 12 birdies and posting a 3.93 scoring average over the 54-holes of play, while tying for second at the event in pars mades with 35 pars on her scorecard. The second-place finish for Dodson is the highest solo finish in her collegiate career and her sixth consecutive top-10 finish dating back to last season.
The next finisher for GWU was senior Julia Henderson who shot rounds of 73, 79, and a solid 68, 3-under par to finish, giving her a total of 220, +7, for the tournament placing in a tie for 12th. Henderson played two seasons with Gardner-Webb before leaving this past year to pursue other options, but eventually found her way back to Boiling Springs. She played well in her first tournament back on the Runnin' Bulldogs squad and was right behind Dodson this weekend holing 33 pars and nine birdies at Pawley's Island.
Fellow senior Mary Katherine Donovan carded rounds of 76, 80, and 73 at the event to finish with a total combined score of 229, +16, finishing tied for 33rd place. Donovan tied for first in par 5 scoring average at the event going 5- under par on par fives with an impressive average of 4.58, while holing eight birdies at Caledonia over the three days.
Morgan Laird a freshman from Waxhaw, N.C. playing in her first ever collegiate tournament finished the event in a tie for 57th-place carding rounds of 78, 77, and 81 to finish with a total of 236, +23, while junior Courtney Yanch rounded our the line-up for the Runnin' Bulldogs shooting 85, 87, and 84 for a combined total score of 256, +43, finishing in 83rd overall.
Campbell University took home the top team honors at the Program Challenge finishing with a combined team score of 869, +17, while Nadine White also from Campbell took home the medalist honors shooting 207, 6-under par, narrowly edging out Dodson.
The Gardner-Webb women's golf team will be in action next at the Lady Pirate Intercollegiate hosted by the East Carolina University women's golf team September 28-29 at the Brook Valley Country Club in Greenville, N.C.
Gardner Webb- 297, 303 & 293 = 893 5th
3- Taylor Dodson – 70, 67 & 71 = 208 (-5)
T12- Julia Henderson – 73, 79 & 68 = 220 (+7)
T33- Mary Katherine Donovan – 76, 80 & 73 = 229 (+16)
T57- Morgan Laird – 78, 77 & 81 = 236 (+23)
83- Courtney Yanch – 85, 87 & 84= 256 (+43)
