Lopez Finishes Fifth in Texas, Razorbacks Third
Photo Courtesy of Athletic Media Relations
The No. 19 Razorback women’s golf team finished third at the Betsy Rawls Longhorn Invitational in Austin, Texas.
After the first round, the Razorbacks were in second place, just three strokes off the lead held by No. 10 Alabama. The 288 the Hogs scored on the first day was the lowest round of the year for Arkansas.
Junior Emily Tubert led the team with a one-under par 71 and finished the day tied for sixth overall.
Freshmen Gabriela Lopez and Regina Plasencia were tied for 11th at the end of the first day with even par 72s.
Junior Emma Lavy and senior Victoria Vela finished the first round tied for 18th after shooting rounds of one-over par.
“Overall this was a very solid performance,” head coach Shauna Estes-Taylor said of the first round of play.
On the second day of play, the Razorbacks fell into a tie for third after posting a 288, matching their score from the first day.
The Razorbacks were jumped by No. 4 Florida who scored a 280 in the second round and finished day two tied with Alabama for the lead.
The team was led on the second day by Lopez who moved into a tie for fifth overall with a second-round score of 69.
Plasencia also finished the day under par with a score of 71 and was tied for 11th overall.
Tubert and Vela each finished the day with a score of 74 and are in 17th and 24th, respectively. Lavy was tied for 37th at the end of the second day after posting a 77.
“Obviously this was a great job by our freshmen today,” Estes-Taylor said after the second round.
The Razorbacks finished the tournament in third place after shooting a final round of 288 for a three day score of 864, just behind Florida and Alabama, who each finished with scores of 863.
Lopez finished fifth individually with a three-day score of 212.
“Gaby has all of the tools to be a great player,” Estes-Taylor said. “I love her style of play, she is super aggressive. Gaby can play with the best players in college golf and she showed that this week.”
Plasencia shot a 76 on the final day, bringing her total to 219 and moving her into a tie for 15th overall.
“(Plasencia) is also really fun to watch,” Estes-Taylor said. “She is very tactical in how she attacks the golf course.”
Tubert finished the tournament in a tie for 11th with a score of 217. Vela and Lavy tied for 21st overall with scores of 221.
“Our veterans have done a great job of setting the example and standard for this year’s team,” Estes-Taylor said. “They work hard and know what it takes to be successful at this level and have been great players and mentors for the whole team.”
This was the last event of the fall for the Razorbacks. They will compete again Feb. 12-14 at the Puerto Rico Golf Classic.
