WGF: PLU INVITATIONAL - Cameron Leads 15th-Ranked Bruins to 7th Event Title in 8 Tries

TUMWATER, Wash. - Led by medalist Mandy Cameron’s 78 on Sunday, the 15th-ranked George Fox University Bruins captured their seventh women’s golf tournament title in eight events this season, winning by 39 strokes, as the two-day Pacific Lutheran University Invitational concluded here at the Tumwater Valley Golf Course.

Leading by 19 strokes after the first day, the Bruins improved by four strokes on the second day to shoot a 36-hole score of 329-325=654 on the par 72, 5,933-yard course, well ahead of the 348-345=693 by last year’s Northwest Conference champion, the University of Puget Sound. Pacific University came in third with a 368-354=722, and host Pacific Lutheran was fourth with a 391-367=758.

Cameron, who was two shots off the lead after Saturday’s round, finished with an 83-78=161, her second tournament victory of the season. Freshmen teammates Kelsey Morrison and Abby Mann finished in a tie for second, Morrison with an 81-83=164 and Mann at 82-82=164. Sarah Askin (83-83=166) and Brianna Nap (84-82=166) tied for fourth along with Valerie Kitamori of Pacific (84-82=166). The Bruins’ Jill Westendorf was eighth (84-86=170) as George Fox placed its entire team in the top eight finishes.

"I was really pleased with how the entire team persevered on a difficult course under difficult weather conditions,” said George Fox coach MaryJo McCloskey. “The course played more difficult than the day before, with rain showers, cold temperatures and gusting wind, but everyone stayed positive and focused for both days. This was a great test for us after coming from Phoenix earlier this week.

“Mandy was impressive, shaving five stokes off her Saturday score to win medalists honors by three strokes, but what really added to the excitement was the second-place finishes for Kelsey and Abby. After their strong play on the first day, they were paired in the final two groups and held their own. Kelsey was tied for the lead, and gained some great experience playing in the final group and finishing strong. Abby's 82 the first day was a personal collegiate best, and then she matched it again on day two. That's tough to do."

The Bruins will return to a familiar course this Friday when they take on Concordia University-Portland in a dual match at 9:30 a.m. at the Heron Lakes Golf Course in north Portland. It was on the Green Back course at Heron Lakes that the Bruins captured the first leg of the battle for the Northwest Conference championship, the NWC Fall Classic, back on Oct. 17-18.