Yao Posts Lowest Round Ever to Lead Team at Bama Beach Bash

Sunday, March 20

Gulf Shores, Ala. / Gulf Shores GC

All Day

Dartmouth College

Bama Beach Bash

Oct. 10, 2021; New Haven, Connecticut, USA; during the 2021 Yale Women's Tournament at The Course at Yale. Photo by Foley-Photography.

Samantha Yao returned from an off term to set a school record.

Photo by: Brian Foley

Yao Posts Lowest Round Ever to Lead Team at Bama Beach Bash

3/20/2022 7:41:00 PM | Women's Golf

First-Round Results

Junior Samantha Yao set a program record with a 3-under 69 on Sunday

By: Rick Bender

GULF SHORES, Ala. — Junior Samantha Yao, fresh off returning to the Dartmouth women's golf team after being off during the winter quarter, carded a 3-under 69 to set a program record and lead the Big Green in the first round of the Bama Beach Bash. Dartmouth ended the day in fourth place with an even 300 (+12).

Yao, just one stroke behind the leader, Federica Tavelli-Westerlund of Texas State, played a nearly flawless round with four birdies and just one bogey to set the Big Green record for low score in a round. As a team, the Big Green sank 17 birdies, tied with South Alabama for the most over the first 18 holes, though Texas State ended up two strokes ahead of the Jaguars with a 5-over 293, five ahead of Louisiana Monroe and seven in front of Dartmouth.

The Big Green had another golfer crack the top 10 in sophomore Katherine Sung, who had a bit of a roller-coaster round due to a tender ankle but settled in at 2-over par (74). Her seven birdies led the 99-player field, and she was at 2-under par with three holes to play but finished with a pair of bogeys and a double to leave her six strokes back in a tie for eighth.

Another sophomore in Penelope Tir provided four more birdies while wrapping up her day in a tie for 24th with a 77 (+5). All four of her birdies came on par-5 holes, the only player to play the five long holes at 4-under for the round.

Both senior Kristen Chen and freshman Claire Xu shot an 8-over 80 for the round to tie for 54th. Xu had a steadier round with 10 pars and eight bogeys, while Chen had two birdies and nine pars to her credit.

"It is great to have Sammy Yao back and playing so well," said Alex Kirk, Dartmouth's Carolyn A. Pelzel '54a Head Coach of Women's Golf. "Katherine has kind of had to reinvent her swing with her twisted ankle, but seven birdies and just 27 putts will certainly keep you in the round. Everyone is playing, we just need to clean up a few shots, and I like our chances to stay competitive and finish strong tomorrow.

"Overall, it has been a great spring break trip. The Birchall family helped us prep in Birmingham as we played the Country Club of Birmingham and Shoal Creek. Many thanks to the Birchalls for their welcoming hospitality."

Due to expected inclement weather on Tuesday, the tournament will finish the final two rounds on Monday, beginning with a shotgun start at 8:30 a.m.

Notes: The entire field wore ribbons in memory of the University of the Southwest golf team that lost six players and its coach in a horrific traffic accident last week … only one other Big Green player has ever broken 70 in a round: Sung, who shot a 2-under 69 last fall at the Yale Invitational … both Sung and Yao held the previous best round in relation to par at 2-under.