GREENVILLE, N.C. – Stetson women's golf bounced back from a difficult second round with its best performance of the tournament Tuesday, shooting a 1-under 287 to climb into fifth place at the Pirate Collegiate Classic at Greenville Country Club.
The Hatters finished the 54-hole event at 8-over, posting rounds of 288-297-287 over two days. Stetson was one of just four teams to break par in Tuesday's final round, allowing the Hatters to move ahead of App State and finish four strokes behind fourth-place Longwood.
Stetson showed early Monday that it could contend near the top of the leaderboard. The Hatters opened with an even-par 288 behind four counting scores of 73 or better, led by Isaki Sakashita's 2-under 70. Stetson couldn't maintain that pace during the second 18, however, as a 9-over 297 dropped the Hatters to sixth entering the final round.
Tuesday brought a response.
Sakashita once again set the pace with a 2-under 70, giving the junior matching 70s to bookend the tournament. After making the turn at even par, Sakashita caught fire on the back nine, making three birdies over a four-hole stretch at Nos. 14, 15 and 16. She finished the round with a 2-under 34 on the back and completed the tournament tied for eighth at 3-under (70-73-70).
It marked Sakashita's first top-10 finish of the season after being named ASUN Golfer of the Year last spring. Her week also included one of Stetson's biggest highlights Monday, when she eagled the par-5 ninth during her opening-round 70.
Bridget Butler was right behind her and gave Stetson three consecutive rounds of par or better. After opening with back-to-back even-par 72s Monday, Butler entered the final hole Tuesday at 1-over for her round. She then eagled the par-5 18th, turning what would have been an over-par round into a 1-under 71 and moving herself into a tie for 14th at 1-under (72-72-71) for the tournament.
The eagle was one of two for Stetson during Tuesday's final round.
Anna Huettl supplied the other at the par-5 ninth. Huettl reached the turn in 1-under 35 following the eagle before finishing with a 74. She completed the tournament tied for 31st at 6-over (73-75-74).
Maggie Potash also played a key role in Stetson's final-round charge. After rounds of 73 and 78 Monday, the sophomore rebounded with an even-par 72 on Tuesday. Potash made the turn at 2-over before playing the back nine in 2-under 34, highlighted by birdies at Nos. 10 and 14, to finish the tournament at 7-over.
Those four scores — Sakashita's 70, Butler's 71, Potash's 72 and Huettl's 74 — combined for Stetson's 287, a 10-stroke improvement from Monday's second round.
Clara Willem rounded out the Stetson lineup with rounds of 81-77-81 in her first tournament appearance of the season.
The Hatters finished the week with plenty of red on the scorecards, highlighted by three eagles from Sakashita, Huettl and Butler. Stetson also had two players finish the tournament under par, with Sakashita earning a top-10 finish and Butler placing inside the top 15.
NC State captured the team championship at 13-under, five strokes ahead of Stetson's final-round pace after closing with a 5-under round Tuesday. UNCG used a 6-under final round to move into second at 4-under, while host East Carolina finished third at even par. Longwood took fourth at 4-over, followed by Stetson at 8-over.
The fifth-place finish marks Stetson's best through the opening two tournaments of the fall.
The Hatters will have a couple weeks away from competition before returning to the course Oct. 3-4 at the Navy Fall Invitational in Annapolis, Maryland.
About Stetson Athletics
At Stetson University, student-athletes don't just compete—they thrive. Located in historic DeLand, Florida, between Orlando and Daytona Beach, Stetson offers the perfect blend of competitive athletics, academic excellence, and an unbeatable Central Florida lifestyle. As the oldest private university in the region, Stetson supports approximately 500 student-athletes across 19 NCAA Division I sports. Nicknamed the "Hatters" after the institution's namesake John B. Stetson, a hat manufacturer who originated the modern-day cowboy hat, most Stetson athletic teams compete in the Atlantic Sun Conference, where they proudly hold the longest active membership since 1985. With top-tier facilities, personalized support, and a welcoming campus community, Stetson is where students can grow, compete, and succeed. Learn more at GoHatters.com or follow social media accounts @StetsonHatters.
