Video: Mississippi State Hosts Magnolia Invite; Ole Miss Sweeps Women’s Golf Event

WEST POINT, Miss. (WCBI/Ole Miss Athletics)  – Behind a nerve-wracking individual victory by freshman Julia Johnson, the Ole Miss women’s golf team captured its first team tournament title under coaches Kory Henkes and Drew Belt.

Johnson closed out Memphis sophomore Abby Herrmann in an intense two-hole playoff, and the co-host Rebels held off a strong Round 3 charge by the Tigers to secure a seven-stroke victory and a sweep of the inaugural Magnolia Invitational at Old Waverly Golf Club.

“It’s pretty unbelievable. It still hasn’t all sunk in,” Henkes said. “It hasn’t happened in a couple of years now, and it’s my first and coach Drew’s first since we’ve been at Ole Miss. It’s not only going to help recruiting-wise, but it’s going to help the girls on the team now. It’s going to show them that they can do this, that winning isn’t unrealistic anymore. It’s something they’re going to strive for each and every week and be disappointed if they don’t get. I think this is just the kick start that they needed to keep on a good roll.”

Team 32 Makes History
This marks Ole Miss’ first team tournament victory since the 2015 Samford Intercollegiate, the second in the last decade, No. 16 in program history and just the seventh in a 54-hole event. At 278-289-287–854, the Rebels finished just one stroke off the lowest three-round score in program history, and they set a new school record for the lowest score in a tournament victory, besting the previous mark of 885 set in 2001.

The Rebels brought a 12-stroke lead into the day and took to the tee box ready to close out a historic win. Ole Miss played to 4-under as a team on the front nine and added three more birdies on the 10th hole, though nerves set in late while Memphis narrowed the gap.

Freshman Conner Beth Ball recovered from an over-par Round 2 to play a key role in sealing the team win. She picked up birdies on nine and 10 and strung together eight pars to finish the round at 2-under, the best score of the day for the counting squad. The Madison, Mississippi, native finished tied for fifth (69-75-70–214) for her second top-five finish in three collegiate tournaments. She edged her previous personal best of 215, set in her third-place finish in the season-opener at The Ocean Course Invitational.

Sophomore Pi-Lillebi Hermansson was instrumental in the final two rounds as well. She came back from a difficult Round 1 to go under par on each of the final two days. The Djursholm, Sweden, native posted four birdies in Round 3, including one on the treacherous 18th hole. She finished tied for 12th, tying her best collegiate finish.

Junior Diane Lim was playing in just her second tournament as a Rebel and her first in the counting five. The Suwanee, Georgia, native fought her way through a pair of bogeys on the back nine and holed a critical birdie on the 15th hole. At 72-77-74–223, Lim turned in her best performance and her best finish (T25th) in an Ole Miss uniform.

Junior Kie Purdom was on pace to provide the fourth counting score for the Rebels. She was at even par going into 18, where she found trouble like many others did on the treacherous finishing hole. Nonetheless, the Lexington, Kentucky, native put together a spectacular three days at Old Waverly. Her personal-best 69 in Round 1 set the tone for the lowest tournament score of her career at 220. She tied for 17th to round out a group of five Rebels in the top-20.

The fifth name on that list was senior Katy Harris. Playing as an individual, Harris was razor sharp in Round 3. The St. Simons Island, Georgia, native fired five birdies on the final day, including three in her first seven holes to finish at 3-under (69) and claw her way into the top-20 at 4-over for the tournament.

Freshman Macy Holliday made it seven Ole Miss golfers in the top 30 with a strong collegiate debut. The Dallas, Texas, native went 2-over (74) in the last round thanks to three birdies and wrapped up an impressive first tournament score at 73-77-74–224 (+8).

“Everybody was playing well,” Henkes said. “Every time you turn your head, you see somebody making a putt for birdie or par, fist pumping. The energy level was really high today. All the girls really pull for each other. We really have a family atmosphere. It’s a lot of fun to see everyone play well. I couldn’t be more excited for this team.”

Johnson’s Historic Win
Johnson became the 20th individual champion in Ole Miss history and the first since Harris won the Palmetto Intercollegiate last fall. A native of St. Gabriel, Louisiana, Johnson is just the third freshman to win a tournament in the Rebels’ history, and she’s the first since Lauren Mellen won the 1995 Mardi Gras Invitational four years before Johnson was born. Johnson is the first freshman to win a 54-hole tournament in program history.

The young Rebel’s three-day score of 68-69-72–209 marked the best score in a medalist performance in school history, edging Abby Newton’s mark of 210 at the 2014 Memphis FedEx Intercollegiate. It came just four strokes shy of LPGA Rebel Dori Carter’s all-time mark of 205, set in 2008.

Johnson endured an incredible late surge by Herrmann, who carded three straight birdies on 14, 15 and 16 to cut the lead to two strokes with two to play. A double-bogey by the Ole Miss freshman on the 17th hole erased that cushion. The nerves affected both competitors on 18, as each of their drives found the water. They both recovered for bogey to set up a playoff on the very same hole. After trading pars in the first playoff, Johnson took advantage of an errant second shot by Herrmann in the second playoff, again on 18, and she closed out the win with a par.

“I’m exhausted. I had to play 18 three times in a row, and that’s always hard,” Johnson said. “But I’m really happy.”

Coach Henkes? She’s happy too.

“I think this is going to be the first of many for Julia Johnson,” Henkes said. “She’s a great player, and I’m happy to have her as an Ole Miss Rebel.”

Up Next
After bringing their new hardware back to the Whitten Golf Complex, the Rebels will go back to work, looking forward to the next challenge: the Palmetto Intercollegiate at Kiawah Island.

Ole Miss finished fourth at this same event last year as Harris brought home the individual title. The Rebels will make their third trip to South Carolina this season Oct. 22-24.

The Rebels
1. Julia Johnson: 68-69-72–209 (-7)
T5. Conner Beth Ball: 69-75-70–214 (-2)
T12. Pi-Lillebi Hermansson: 78-70-71–219 (+3)
T17. Kie Purdom: 69-75-76–220 (+4)
T25. Diane Lim: 72-77-74–223 (+7)

Individuals
T17. Katy Harris: 77-74-69–220 (+4)
T27. Macy Holliday: 73-77-74–224 (+8)
T52. Martina Flori: 77-80-76–233 (+17)
T56. Laura Hoskin: 77-78-80–235 (+19)

Standings
1. Ole Miss: 278-289-287–854 (-10)
2. Memphis: 291-289-281–861 (-3)
3. Tennessee: 287-292-293–872 (+8)
T4. Mississippi State: 296-287-294–877 (+13)
T4. Auburn: 291-294-292–877 (+13)
6: LSU: 301-293-288–882 (+18)
7. Southern Miss: 303-291-296–890 (+26)
8. Augusta: 307-296-293–896 (+32)
9. Kansas State: 301-298-299–898 (+34)
10. Troy: 321-294-305–920 (+56)