Moore Finishes Two Strokes Off Lead At NCAA Championships

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Meghan Moore used the strength of a below-par performance on the front nine to fire an even-par 72 that vaulted the junior into second place at the conclusion of the fourth and final round of the 2012 NCAA Division II Women's Golf Championships on Saturday.

Moore (+12) finished two strokes off the pace of national champion Abbey Gittings (+10) of Nova Southeastern who led the Sharks to their fourth-straight team national championship in the process. Gittings turned in a double bogey on the par-4 13th hole to fall into a first place tie with Moore, but the NSU junior birdied both the 15th and 16th holes, and then posted pars on the final two greens, to come away with individual medalist honors.

Moore's finish is the best individual national finish by a Peach Belt Conference women's golfer in league annals and the best finish for a PBC golfer, male or female, since USC Aiken's Jeff Goff captured the individual national championship in 2008. Moore also concluded her junior campaign with a PBC-best and school record 76.03 stroke average – the second-lowest total in league history.

The Durham native negated a bogey on the par-4 second hole with birdies on the fourth, fifth and ninth holes. She bogeyed the par-3 12th hole and carded a double bogey on the par-4 17th hole, but capped her tournament by booking a birdie on the par-5 18th hole. It was the first time over the course of the 4-round tournament that she had registered par or better on the Persimmon Ridge Golf Course's final hole.