WESTWORTH VILLAGE, TEXAS – The University of the Incarnate Word women's golf team opened the season with a victory at the Hawks Creek Invitational hosted by Texas Wesleyan University coming back from seven strokes in the final round to win the tournament by three strokes on Tuesday. (Results)

The Cardinals final round charge was spearheaded by senior Maddy Buhler (Victoria/St. Joseph's HS).  She posted an even par round and finished at 6-over par for the tournament to finish in a tie for medalist honors.  Texas Wesleyan's Alex Schies led Buhler by four strokes heading into the final round, but was able to win the individual title in a playoff.

Buhler was one of five Incarnate Word players to break 80 on the par-72 5986-yard course.  Freshman Lauren Mancha shot a 76 while Jaimie Bibby (Corpus Christi/Incarnate Word Academy) shot a 77, Lizeth Escobedo (Killeen/Holy Trinity Catholic) posted a 78 and Colleen O'Connell (Arlington/Lamar HS) fired a 79.  Bibby finished in 12^th place and Mancha took 16^th place.

The Cardinals fired a 313-319-303=935 to pass up McLennan Community College and Texas Wesleyan in the final round.  McLennan finished in second with 938 strokes and they were followed by TWU (939), Wayland Baptist (948), Angelo State (949), Texas A&M-Commerce (966), Cameron (966), Tyler Junior College (968), Lubbock Christian (988), St. Thomas (1021), and Texas Wesleyan 'B' (1040).

The Cardinals are back in action on September 26-27 at the Wyoming Cowgirl Desert Intercollegiate that is played in Palm Desert, CA.
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