Somek has memorable day on CVAC links

By News-Argus Staff
Published in Sports on April 20, 2005 1:56 PM

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HARTSVILLE, S.C. -- The final round of the 2005 Carolinas-Virginia Athletics Conference women's golf championship will be especially memorable for Mount Olive College golfer Kate Somek.

Not only did Somek shoot her best-ever round of golf and earn All-Tournament honors, she may have had the "shot of the year" in the CVAC.

Somek holed an eagle from 135 yards out on the par-4 15th hole and went on to shoot a career-best 77 in the final round of the 2005 CVAC women's golf championship on Tuesday at Hartsville Country Club.

Somek finished with a 54-hole total of 244 to place eighth out of 28 golfers, coming within two shots of a top-five finish. Somek was named to the 2005 All-Tournament team.

Lindsey Snyder placed 13th with an 80-84-86--250, while Kristin Freeman finished 22nd with a 90-94-92--276. Somek shot 84-83 in the first two rounds.

Pfeiffer's Fiona Hindshaw won the individual championship and led Pfeiffer to the team championship.

Somek, a sophomore from Ontario, Canada, hit her tee shot on the 15th left of the fairway on the downside of a slope and behind a tree.

"I couldn't even see the pin from where I was," said Somek. "I was just trying to keep it under the tree."

After Somek took the shot, she imagined the worst.

"I didn't hear any reaction, so I figured I didn't make it on the green," said Somek. "One of my playing partners said it was on the green and I ran up the hill in time to see it go in the hole."

The ball hit the green and rolled - and rolled - into the hole.

Somek received three ovations from those who were at the green - one when the ball went in the hole, one when she walked onto the green and one when she took her ball out of the hole. Somek appeared calm, but she admits appearances are deceiving.

"I was pretty excited," said Somek, who went on to par the final three holes. "I just didn't show it."

With Somek's performance, Mount Olive has placed a player on the All-Tournament Team in each of the two years of the CVAC Women's Golf Championship. Snyder earned All-Tournament honors last year.

"To shoot a 77 is outstanding," said Trojans coach Chip Spiron. "To do it at the conference championship makes it even more special."