FRIPP ISLAND, S.C. — The High Point University women's golf team came into the Big South Conference Championship as the top seed and finished stroke play in the same spot for the first time in program history as the Panthers finished first of nine teams after 54 holes of play that began on Sunday and concluded on Tuesday at the Ocean Creek Golf Course. 

No. 1 High Point (+34) was atop the leaderboard and 15 strokes ahead of No. 2 UNC Asheville (+49), No. 3 Longwood (+53), and No. 4 Charleston Southern (+58). The Bucs bested Winthrop (+58) and Radford (+58) in a three-team playoff to take the fourth seed.

Now, the top four seeds head to match play with the semifinals set at 8:00 a.m. followed by the championship at 2:00 p.m. The winner receives an automatic bid to a regional site of the NCAA Women's Golf Championship.

Head Coach Lyndsey Hunnell: ""This is a huge moment for our program and great momentum heading into match play. To win stroke play for the first time says a lot about this group, but we know there's more in front of us. Tomorrow is about staying present and competing one shot at a time. As Makayla Grubb says, we're 'being where our feet are.' I'm really excited to see what this team does next."
 
Site: Fripp Island, S.C.
Course: Ocean Creek Golf Course – Fripp Island Golf and Beach Resort
Par/Yardage: 72/6032
 
HPU Top Finishers: Makayla Grubb (2) — 70, 74, 73 (217) +1                                                          
HPU Team Finish: 1 of 9 teams — 293, 300, 305 (898) +34
 
Panther Placement:
2 Makayla Grubb +1 (70, 74, 73) 217
T5 Eva Lye +4 (71, 72, 77) 220
T10 Anais Arafi +13 (74, 76, 79) 229
T18 Ella Perna +18 (80, 78, 76) 234
24 Anna Howerton +21 (78, 78, 81) 237
 
Through Three Rounds | Stroke Play Results
The Panthers led by as many as 20 strokes and never trailed to win stroke play at the Big South Championship for the first time in program history.

The freshman duo of Makayla Grubb and Eva Lye finished top 5 to make the All-Championship Team. Grubb shot a 2-under-par 70 first round followed by rounds of 74 and 73, respectively, to finish second. Eva Lye finished back-to-back rounds under par or even, with a 71 and 72, to pace her fifth-place finish.

Anais Arafi finished top 10, carding her best round throughout the opening 18 with a 2-over-par 74. Ella Perna saved her best round for last as she shot a 74 to cap her final Big South Championship stroke play. Anna Howerton rounded out the five-woman team with her consecutive rounds of 78.
 
Match Play | Live Scoring
 
Semifinals
#1 High Point vs. #4 Charleston Southern – Hole 1
 
Match 1 – Eva Lye (HPU) vs. Summer Griffiths (CSU), 8:00am
Match 2 – Anais Arafi (HPU) vs. Chayse Cool (CSU), 8:08am
Match 3 – Ella Perna (HPU) vs. Katie Stephens (CSU), 8:16am
Match 4 – Anna Howerton (HPU) vs. IY Ibnu (CSU), 8:24am
Match 5 – Makayla Grubb (HPU) vs. Eugenie Varet (CSU), 8:32am
 
All-Championship Team (Top 5 finishers plus ties)
Caroline Patterson, UNC Asheville (Medalist)
Makayla Grubb, High Point
Constança Mendonça, Winthrop
Madison Lehr, Longwood
Eva Lye, High Point
Eugenie Varet, Charleston Southern