DU's Tonya Choate

Sophomore fires even par final round to take Lenoir-Rhyne Invitational, lead Panthers to fifth-place finish

DRURY GOLFER TONYA CHOATE WINS FOURTH STRAIGHT TOURNAMENT

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(Courtesy of Drury Sports Information Office … Contact SID Scott Puryear at 417-873-4097 for more details)

October 11, 2005

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – Drury University sophomore Tonya Choate finished off an incredible fall run by winning her fourth consecutive tournament, shooting a final-round 72 to claim medalist honors in the Lenoir-Rhyne Invitational at the Bay Tree Golf Plantation.

Choate’s even-par final round left her with a 145 total, good for a two-shot victory over Paige Haverty of Catawba College, who followed her first-round 70 with a 77. West Florida’s Clara Fornella and Grand Valley State’s Kate MacDonald tied for third at 150.

Choate’s effort left Drury, seeking it’s third consecutive team championship, with a fifth-place finish.

The Panthers followed Monday’s 330 with a 306 round on Tuesday. Junior Shannon Bost had a 76 Tuesday to finish at 163, where she was joined by junior Lisa Dugan (86-77). Sophomore Angela Birdwell had rounds of 84-81 for a 165 total, while junior Jenny Schneider, who was disqualified for failing to sign her card on Monday, came in with a final round of 84.

But clearly the talk of the tournament was the stunning run by Choate, the former Mount Vernon High School standout who opened the fall by finishing second in the season-opening Grand Valley State Invitational in Allendale, Mich., but then won the Northeastern State Golf Classic in Muskogee, Okla., the Drury Invitational at Rivercut Golf Course, the Great Lakes Valley Conference tournament in Edinburgh, Ind., and finally, the 21-team Lenoir-Rhyne event.

“It has everybody going ‘wow,’ including her coach and her teammates,” Drury coach Lisa Tinkler said. “The entire team is just rallying behind Tonya, too.”

Choate said she’s been on rolls before, “but nothing this big.”

“I won junior tournaments and stuff, but nothing like this against the caliber of golfers we’re facing each week,” she added.

The Myrtle Beach event concluded the fall portion of Drury’s schedule.

LENOIR-RHYNE INVITATIONAL RESULTS TEAM SCORES

West Florida 311-304 615

Grand Valley State 318-301 619

Nova Southeastern 316-304 620

Central Arkansas 315-316 631

Drury 330-306 636

Pfeiffer 316-321 637

Newberry 316-332 648

Catawba 321-346 667

Limestone 348-325 673

Wingate 340-337 677

Ashland 338-340 678

Lenoir-Rhyne 337-342 679

Anderson 340-339 679

Tusculum 344-338 682

AASU 346-346 692

Queens of Charleston 340-356 696

Belmont Abbey 351-357 708

St. Andrews 364-348 712

Mount Olive 377-367 744

Mars Hill 400-404 804

Lincoln Memorial 360-DNF

DRURY RESULTS

Tonya Choate 73-72 145

Shannon Bost 87-76 163

Lisa Dugan 86-77 163

Angela Birdwell 84-81 165

Jenny Schneider DQ-84

Complete Results