The Miami women’s golf team battled its in-state rivals from Gainesville in the Briar’s Creek Invitational on Tuesday but came up two shots shy of a title.
University of Florida (UF) ended each round in first place at the competition in Johns Island, S.C.. They shared the lead with the Hurricanes only after the first round.
After playing the first two rounds on Monday, Miami entered the third and final round on Tuesday five shots behind UF and managed to close the gap to two in the end. Sophomore Daniela Darquea was crucial to the late surge.
Darquea rallied the Hurricanes in the final round of the competition with an astonishing round of golf. She shot a 65 in the final round, which was seven shots below par and good enough to seal first place for individuals. At nine shots below par, she finished five shots ahead of the rest of the field.
Darquea carded eight birdies overall in the final round and lived up to what her coach Patti Rizzo said earlier this season, that “Daniela doesn’t have a weakness in her game.”
It was Darquea’s third career victory in two years.
The second place finish marked Miami’s fifth top-five finish of the year and second straight runner-up finish.
Senior Leticia Ras-Anderica finished in fourth place, shooting one stroke below par for the competition. She shot two strokes below par in the round, part of Miami’s strong finish. Overall, four Miami players shot par or below in the final round.
Coach Patti Rizzo is pleased that the team is hitting their stride now as three competitions, including the ACC tournament, are coming up through the end of the April.
“Everybody is doing their part and I’m very proud of them,” Rizzo said. “We’re on a good track and we’ll be ready to go for conference play.”
The Hurricanes will be in Jacksonville on Monday and Tuesday to play in the Web.com Intercollegiate tournament.