By Derrick Ow — Reporter
It is safe to say that the San Jose State women’s golf team loves being back out on the course.
On Tuesday, the Spartans finished tied for third at the Gunrock Invitational in Sacramento. The Spartans tied with host UC Davis at 8- under- par 856 which was 18 strokes back of defending national champion Stanford.
The Cardinal led from wire to wire to finish at 26-under- par 838 which is a school record. It was a unique format this week where all 11 teams played 36 holes on Monday.
SJSU had a chance to capture the individual title at Del Paso Country Club. Entering the final round, junior Antonia Malate was tied for the lead with Rachel Heck of Stanford at 9 under par. Malate opened the round with 12 straight pars before finally ending that streak with a birdie par-5 on the 13th hole.
Malate would then run into trouble as she double bogeyed the par-5 16th hole. She would par four of her final five holes to shoot at 1- over-par 73 to finish in a tie for third at eight under. It was a career best finish for the Seaside, Calif., native
Kajsa Arwefjall also earned her best collegiate finish. The sophomore shot a bogey-free 68 to also finish in a tie for third. This was coming off the heels of her lowest round as a Spartan when she shot a 3- under-par 69 in the second round.
Heck was sensational all three rounds. She fired a 5-under-par 67 in the first round and backed it up with a 68 in the second round. The Cardinal freshman shot a final round two-under 70 to earn her first collegiate win. She finished at 11 under par which was one clear of Tess Blair of Sacramento State.
Freshman Louisa Carlbom shot a final round 2-over-par 74 to finish in a tie for 31st at 5 over. She rebounded nicely after a 4- over-par 76 in the second round. Fellow freshman Jordyn Parr saved her best golf as she shot a 1-over-par 73 to finish at 9 over. That was good enough for a tie for 41st place.
Sophomore Jadan Gonzalez finished in 35th place after shooting an opening round 78 and a 1-under-par 71 in the second round. Her final round 1-over-par 73 put her at 6 over par for the tournament.
The Spartans will get a week off before co-hosting the Juli Inkster at Meadow Club Invitational. SJSU and University of San Francisco will look to win their home event at the Meadow Club in Fairfax, Calif.
The tournament will be held on Monday and Tuesday.
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