GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- Tusculum University senior Katie Tomassoni sank a four-foot putt for par on the first playoff hole to repeat as medalist at the 2018 Bob Dibble Classic. The two-day, 36-hole tournament was held at Link Hills Country Club.
The Pioneers led wire-to-wire to capture the Dibble Classic team title for a fourth straight year and sixth Fall Classic overall. TU posted a winning score of 599 including Tuesday's final round 304 and three Pioneers each shot 75.
Tusculum won by eight shots over Carson-Newman B as the Lady Eagles finished with 607. Lincoln Memorial B was third with 664, followed by Tusculum Black (672) and Emory & Henry (824).
Tusculum's 599 is the third-lowest 36-hole score in program history.
Tomassoni and Reagan Kinnie of Carson-Newman were co-leaders following Monday's first round and were still tied after 36 holes as both finished with 75 to shoot 146 for the tournament.
On the first sudden-death playoff hole both had almost identical par putts. Kinnie missed her four-and-half footer to the right to set the table for Tomassoni who drained her putt to secure her third collegiate individual title of her career which are the second-most in school history. She also becomes only the second player in the 13-year history to repeat as individual medalist matching the feat by Belmont Abbey's Michele Low who won in 2009 and again in 2010.
Carson-Newman's Katie Medley, who was playing as an individual competitor, finished third with 74-76=150. The Tusculum trio of Cydney Murrell, Julia Johannson and Olivia Cunningham all finished with two-day tallies of 151 to round out the All-Tournament Team.
Tusculum senior Taylor White shot 82-81=163 to finish 15th for TU Orange.
Tusculum Black was led by Makenzie Butler's 78-81=159 which is the lowest 36-hole score in her collegiate career. Lauryn Munn finished 16th with 85-79=164, Meredith Barton placed 18th with 88-87=175, while Trista Holder (91-86=177) and rookie Jacque Butler (88-89=177) tied for 19th place honors.
Tusculum returns to action Sep. 24-25 as they play at the Mars Hill Invitational in Fletcher, North Carolina. The Pioneers will get a preview of the Broadmoor Golf Links which will host the 2019 South Atlantic Conference Championship this spring.
