Mocs Golfer Monica San Juan Wins SoCon Championship

(gomocs.com) HILTON HEAD—Monica San Juan earned her first collegiate win capturing the Southern Conference Women’s Golf Championship at Moss Creek Golf Club’s South Course Tuesday afternoon. San Juan’s 1-under 215 led the Chattanooga Mocs to a tie for second finish.

San Juan finished with a 2-over 74. That was matched by teammate Kirsty Beckwith while Rheagan Hall and Esme Hamilton each carded 78s. Dorota Zalewska ended up with an 80 as the squad totaled 304.

Beckwith joined San Juan in the top 10 in seventh at 225. Hall tied for 15th with 230, while Hamilton registered 235. Zalewska heads home with 248.

San Juan entered the day with a 6-stroke advantage over Furman’s Natalie Srinivasan, who currently ranks in the top 30 in the R&A’s World Amateur Golf Rankings. Srinivasan made up two of those shots with a birdie on one and San Juan’s bogey on four. She cut it to three with a birdie on eight before bogeying nine as the duo made the turn with our hero up four.

“On the first hole, we both had pretty lengthy putts for birdie,” San Juan shared. “She made hers and then I made a 5-footer for par. I just missed a birdie putt on two. Then it was just staying steady. There were some birdie opportunities on seven and nine, but I stayed steady making pars.”

The par 5 11th hole may have summed up the day. San Juan’s drive put her in tough position behind a tree. She adroitly played out to the fairway and then fired her third shot into the green. Her birdie putt just missed as the two took pars to the par 12th.

The lead went from four to three to four to three over holes 12-14 with San Juan playing the trio bogey-birdie-bogey while Srinivasan kept making pars with birdies just eluding her putting blade. San Juan gave no opening down the stretch.

“The birdie putt on 11 was pretty long, but it just needed one turn (to fall),” she continued. “There was the bogey on 12, but I felt like I was hitting the ball well. Then I felt good with the birdie finally coming on 13. Even though I bogeyed the par 5 (14), I was confident and stayed patient making pars.”

Fairways, greens and pars for both competitors kept the margin at three heading to 18 with another fairway hit. Srinivasan lost her tee shot left and finished with a double-bogey. That dropped her to fourth at 4 over, one behind teammate Haylee Harford and ETSU’s Hee Ying Loy.

“It kind of feels like it hasn’t happened,” she laughed. “It’s probably, maybe, my last tournament and I haven’t been able to win one until now. It feels really good to finally do it.

“I’ve worked hard over these four years. To get it on my last one, especially at conference, is really special. It has definitely been a blessing to be in Chattanooga the last four years.”

Furman repeated as team champions. The Paladins entered the day with a slim 3-stroke margin over the Mocs but a closing 293 gave them 891 overall, 14 clear of Chattanooga and ETSU in second at 905. It’s the 11th straight year the Mocs have won (2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014) or finished runner-up (2009, 2015-19) in the event.