The 22nd-ranked Middlebury women's golf team finished in fifth place in a very strong field that featured five nationally-ranked teams at the season-opening Hamilton Fall Invitational. Top-ranked Emory won the event with a two-day total of 600 ahead of #12 Amherst's score of 603, while the Panthers fired a 621. 
 
TOURNAMENT INFORMATION

• Location: Yahnundasis Golf Club (New Hartford, N.Y.)
• Par: 73
• Yards: 5,852 
• Teams Competing: 14
• Place: Fifth

HIGHLIGHTS

• Middlebury sat in third place following the opening day with a score of 313, closely trailing Emory (302) and Amherst (306).
• The Panthers bettered Saturday's score by five shots during Sunday's play. 
• Jacqueline Slinkard paced the Panthers, tying for ninth place with a combined score of 153 (76-77). Slinkard picked up a pair of birdies to highlight the opening round.
• Katie Murphy improved by 11 strokes over the two rounds, finishing in a tie for 18th place with a 157 (84-73) and an even par 73 on Sunday.
• Mia Politano matched Murphy's two-day score of 157, posting a two-over par 75 in the final round.
• The fourth scorer for Middlebury was Audrey Tir with a 159 to place 25th. Tir recorded a 76 in the first round including a pair of birdies on her scorecard.
• Kayla Li was the fifth competitor in the Panther lineup, tallying a score of 164 (79-85) to tie for 34th place.