Bjorkman Pulls Away for First Tourney Title

Sunday, April 10

Troy, AL

Troy University

Photo by: Kevin Glackmeyer

Bjorkman Pulls Away for First Tourney Title

4/12/2011 5:19:38 PM | Golf (W)

By: Ricky Hazel

FINAL RESULTS: PDF | HTML PHOTO GALLERY

Troy University sophomore Sofia Bjorkman had to battle through heavy winds that forced scores into the 80s on Tuesday at the Troy Country Club in the final round of the Troy Invitational.

Bjorkman was one of only six players able to card a score in the 70s, and her 77 helped her to a four shot advantage for her first collegiate tournament win.

“Sofia played well today by sticking to her game plan,” Trojans coach Matt Terry said. “She took advantage of the other players' mistakes. Now we have four players on our team with Division I victories and that is a nice problem to have.”

All six Troy players finished in the top half of the field in the tournament. Western Kentucky took the team title by posting a score of 315 in the final round, three shots better than the Trojans.

The Hilltoppers' JoAnna Smith (+13), Kristen Wilkinson (+14) and Jordan Magruder (+15) finished second, third and fourth, respectively in the tournament.

Junior Haley Lawrence and freshman Signy Arnorsdottir both posted scores of 79 in the final round and finished fifth and sixth overall.

Terry said the brisk winds were not the biggest problem for his team in the final round.

“For us, we didn't putt particularly well,” Terry said. “Hopefully, when we get on some new greens next week, we'll be able to have a better go at it. I don't think the wind has as much to do with our shots today as the putting. That is where tournaments are won and lost.”

The Troy tournament was the final tuneup before the Sun Belt Conference championship tournament next week in Muscle Shoals, Ala. The tournament will be played April 18-20 on The Schoolmaster Course at the Robert Trent Jones “The Shoals” facility.

“We need to have a short-term memory about our faults and concentrate on the things we did well going into the conference tournament,” Terry said. “Hopefully Sofia will take what she did and run with it.

“We'll get in some good days of practice on Thursday, Friday and Saturday and then get a practice round in on Sunday in Muscle Shoals. On Monday we'll just see if we can let it go, see what happens and have some fun.”

The Troy men's golf team will play its conference championship tournament on the Fighting Joe Course in Muscle Shoals on April 25-27. The Trojans will compete in their final pre-conference tuneup this weekend at Georgia Tech.