Sophomore Katie Estridge (Biloxi, Miss. / Biloxi) posted the best Round-3 score as the Valparaiso University women's golf team completed the second round and played the entire third round of the NKU Fall Invitational on Tuesday at the par-71, 5988-yard Belterra Golf Club in Florence, Ind.
 
How It Happened

• Estridge turned in a 72 (+1) in the final round of the tournament, racking up six birdies in the round. This marked her career-low round, outdoing her previous best by five strokes.
• Estridge etched her name into the program record book, as the 72 is tied for the sixth-best 18-hole score in program history. She turned in Valpo's best round since Anna Fay opened the Cardinal Classic with a 72 on Sept. 19, 2022. In relation to par, Estridge's score is tied for seventh in program history and the best since the aforementioned Fay round in 2022.
• Freshman Olivia Bailey (Rochester, Ind. / Rochester Community) closed out a top-20 finish, as she tied for 20^th in a 63-player field at 230 (+17). She finished the tournament with a 76 in Round 3. Bailey's 54-hole score was two strokes outside of the program's all-time top 10.
• Estridge and senior Keira Cotter (Etobicoke, Ontario, Canada / Guelph [Lake Superior State]) finished tied for second on the team and part of a tie for 31^st overall at 234. Cotter carded a team-best 75 in Round 2 before finishing the tournament with a 74 in Round 3, the best 18-hole score of her Valpo career. She hit even par on her final 10 holes of the day.
• Sophomore Nora Meek (Beavercreek, Ohio / Beavercreek) started the third round in style, teeing off 16 by eagling a par-4. She finished the round with a 77, matching her career low from Round 1 of this event.
• Valpo finished the third round with a team score of 298 (+14) to finish the tournament at 932 (+80), finishing well ahead of Missouri Valley Conference foe Evansville for 10^th on the team leaderboard.
• The team score of 932 is tied for the third-best 54-hole score in program history and the best since 928 at the Butler Fall Invitational in October 2023. In relation to par, the team score ranks fifth in program history.
• Tuesday's third round also cracked the program record book, as 298 was the second-best 18-hole overall score in program history behind only the second round of the Dayton Fall Invitational on Oct. 23, 2012 (293). The team's tournament score in relation to par ranks fifth in program history.

Thoughts from Head Coach Jill McCoy
"It was a great day on the golf course. Katie had a great round leading the team today. It's a lot of fun to watch boring golf."
 
Up Next
The Beacons will return to competition on Monday, Oct. 12 as they begin the Missouri State Payne Stewart Memorial at Twin Oaks CC in Springfield, Mo. A link to live scoring via Clippd will be available on ValpoAthletics.com.