Stirling’s female golfers make history in the United States

The University of Stirling’s female golf team has made history after triumphing in one of the highest-ranked college tournaments in the United States.

Stirling’s Chloe Goadby, Hazel MacGarvie, Gemma Batty, Emily Laws and Mirren Fraser secured top spot at the Yale Intercollegiate Invitational at New Haven, Connecticut, over the weekend. The team finished the competition 10 strokes ahead of second-placed Lamar University, from Texas.

Chloe Goadby won the individual competition at the Yale Intercollegiate Invitational.

The landmark win is believed to be the first time an international team has won a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division One tournament, the highest level of college competition.

In further success for Stirling, on-form Goadby, a third-year Psychology and Sports Studies student,  topped the individual rankings at -2, three strokes ahead of second-placed MacGarvie (+1).

It comes just days after Stirling’s men finished one shot behind the winners at the Macdonald Cup, also held at The Course at Yale. Stirling’s Robert Foley, from Switzerland, finished top of the individual leaderboard at -3, followed by his teammates Laird Shepherd and Jordan Sundborg in joint second, on par.

Dean Robertson, High Performance Golf Coach at Stirling, said: "Following the success of Stirling’s men in the Macdonald Cup last week, team cohesion and superb preparation has helped the women’s team to this tremendous achievement.

"Special mention goes to Chloe Goadby who was victorious in the individual tournament with a total score of two-under-par and who continues to grow in stature in the women's game. Freshman Hazel MacGarvie came a close joint second and is a massive talent waiting to be nurtured."

The competition came to a premature end when Sunday’s final round was rained-off. Stirling recorded a total score of 580, ahead of Lamar (590) in second, and Delaware and Harvard in third with 594.

Goadby recorded a first round of 71 and a second of 69, giving her a total score of 140. It left her three points ahead of teammate MacGarvie, a former Scottish under-18 champion, who had rounds of 68 and 75.

Cathy Gallagher, Director of Sport at Stirling, said: “The significance of these achievements cannot be understated. To win such a prestigious competition is a terrific feat and a testament to the dedication and hard work of all of those involved.

“Once again, the team have done themselves and the University proud and it is our job to continue enhancing their support services and deliver a world-class performance environment to help them develop.”

Last month, the University’s men and women’s golf teams retained their titles at the European University Sports Association (EUSA) Golf Championships in the Czech Republic.