Lady Vols Narrowly Miss Cutline at the SEC Championships

Friday, April 19

Birmingham, AL

All Day

University of Tennessee

SEC Championship

Photo by: Caleb Jones/Tennessee Athletics

BIRMINGHAM, AL - APRIL 19, 2019 - Waverly Whiston of the Tennessee Volunteers during the SEC Championships at Grey Stone Golf and Country Club in Birmingham, AL. Photo By Caleb Jones/Tennessee Athletics

Photo by: Caleb Jones/Tennessee Athletics

BIRMINGHAM, AL - APRIL 19, 2019 - Micheala Williams of the Tennessee Volunteers during the SEC Championships at Grey Stone Golf and Country Club in Birmingham, AL. Photo By Caleb Jones/Tennessee Athletics

Photo by: Caleb Jones/Tennessee Athletics

BIRMINGHAM, AL - APRIL 19, 2019 - Ariana Macioce of the Tennessee Volunteers during the SEC Championships at Grey Stone Golf and Country Club in Birmingham, AL. Photo By Caleb Jones/Tennessee Athletics

Photo by: Caleb Jones/Tennessee Athletics

BIRMINGHAM, AL - APRIL 19, 2019 - Mariah Smith of the Tennessee Volunteers during the SEC Championships at Grey Stone Golf and Country Club in Birmingham, AL. Photo By Caleb Jones/Tennessee Athletics

Photo by: Caleb Jones/Tennessee Athletics

Lady Vols Narrowly Miss Cutline at the SEC Championships

April 19, 2019 | Women's Golf

Junior Micheala Williams finish in the top 25 for the sixth straight event this spring

By: Andy Kovar

HOOVER, Ala. – The University of Tennessee women's golf team narrowly missed the cutline for match play at the SEC Championships.

After making a late run at a top-eight spot, the Lady Vols finished 10th and five shots off the cut for match play. After ending the second round of play in 12th, they jumped both Texas A&M and Alabama in the third round of play.

Tennessee was within a few shots of the cutline for most of the day and entered the back nine just one off the cutline. Freshman Mikayla Bardwell and sophomore Waverly Whiston both found birdies on the par-5 18th right before the turn.

On the back nine, both junior Micheala Williams and sophomore Mariah Smith were par or better. Smith played the final 10 holes of her round at 2-under-par, finding birdies on No. 7 and No. 8.

Williams, who carded a team-low 74 (+2) in the final round, played the final 14 holes even par including a pair of birdies on No. 2 and No. 6. She was the top finisher for the Lady Vols this week, tying for 21st on the individual leaderboard.

She has finished in the top 25 in every event this spring and this is her team-high eighth top-25 finish of the season.

Senior Ariana Macioce tied for 36th in the event and had the second lowest score for the Lady Vols with a final round 76 (+4).

Tennessee, who was two positions better than the 2018 SEC Championships, will await to see where it will be selected for the NCAA Regionals in May.

Coach's Take
On how the team played in Friday's conditions:
"They did a good job with the conditions. The day was actually much better than we expected until midway through the back nine. The last holes were the easiest and best chances to make some birdies, but that's when the conditions were the worst." – Coach Judi Pavon

On what the team will take from this heading into NCAA Regionals:
"We are feeling pretty down right now which usually leads to good motivation for practice. We know we need to keep getting better and we have two weeks to get some work done and get prepared to play well and advance through." – Coach Judi Pavon

Final Scores:
Team

1	Florida	-1 (863)
2	South Carolina	+2 (866)
3	Arkansas	+4 (868)
4	Vanderbilt	+13 (877)
T5	Auburn	+18 (882)
T5	Georgia	+18 (882)
7	Mississippi State	+27 (891)
8	Ole Miss	+28 (892)
9	LSU	+32 (896)
10	Tennessee	+33 (897)
11	Alabama	+34 (898)
12	Missouri	+36 (900)
13	Texas A&M	+40 (904)
14	Kentucky	+46 (910)