Maria Jose Marin Wins Blessings Collegiate, Arkansas Finishes Runner-Up
FAYETTEVILLE – For the third time in her career, Maria Jose Marin won the Blessings Collegiate Invitational and tied her lowest score at the event at 12 under par.
As a team, the Razorbacks finished second at 12-over, eight shots behind champion Alabama.
Marin (-12, 1) battled Princeton’s Thanana Kotchasanmanee for the top spot and sealed it with a 20-foot par save on the par-4 16th after hitting her tee shot into the trees. She followed it up with a 10-footer for birdie on the par-3 17th and carded a 5-under 67 after a 68-69 to start the event.
Arkansas played its best round on Monday and shot an even 288, but that wasn’t enough to catch the Tide, who shot 4-over in the final round.
Marin led the field with 17 birdies, three more than Kotchasananmanee, and played the par 4s at 5-under.
Sophomores Sara Brenthcheneff (+1, T5) and Ebba Liljeberg (+8, T11) both shot 72s on Monday. Brenthcheneff was 3-under with three straight birdies on Nos. 8-10 but suffered a double bogey on the par-4 12th and a bogey on the par-3 13th to erase the run. She parred her last five holes and earned her second straight top five finish at T5.
Liljeberg played her best round of the tournament and started hot with a pair of birdies on Nos. 3 and 5. However, she was back to even at the turn. She got back in the groove with a birdie on the par-4 11th and parred her next six holes to stay inside the top 10. She ended her round with a three-putt on the 18th to tie for 11th.
Sophomore Swetha Sathish carded a 77, the same score she had on Saturday and Sunday, to finish at T26 and 15-over. Senior Abbey Schutte’s 80 was dropped and she finished 34th at 20-over.
Arkansas’ individuals, Natalie Blonien (+12, T19) and Melliyal Schmitt (+14, T24), both finished inside the top 25.
Up Next
Arkansas returns to the course on Monday, Oct. 12, at the inaugural Haskins Intercollegiate at the Country Club of Columbus in Columbus, Georgia.
The Razorbacks
2. Arkansas +12
1. Maria Jose Marin -12
T5. Sara Brentcheneff +1
T11. Ebba Liljeberg +8
T23. Swetha Sathish +15
34. Abbey Schutte +20
T19. Natalie Blonien (Ind.) +12
T24. Melliyal Schmitt (Ind.) +14
For more information on Arkansas women’s golf, follow @RazorbackWGolf on social media.
