The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
Belmont Invitational
Watts Wins Belmont Invite, Blazers Finish Third
4/3/2012 12:00:00 AM | Women's Golf
April 3, 2012
Team Results 
| Individual Results
OLD HICKORY, Tenn. -- UAB sophomore women's golfer Caitlin Watts closed with a second-round 75 Tuesday, coming from three shots off the lead to post her first collegiate tournament victory at the Belmont Invitational.
With a 36-hole total of five-over par 149 at the two-day tournament, Watts edged out first-round leader Jennifer Newman of host Belmont and Cathy Doyle of Evansville by one stroke for medalist honors.
Belmont won the tournament with a two-day total of 616 at the par-72, 5,983-yard Old Hickory Country Club outside Nashville.
UAB recorded a team total of 317 Tuesday for the second straight day. The Blazers' 36-hole total of 634 put them in third place in the seven-team field, just one stroke behind second-place Evansville, which closed with a 315 on day two.
Watts' performance continued an impressive sophomore campaign for the LaGrange, Ga., product. She now has three top 3 finishes on the season with each of them coming over the Blazers' past five events.
Watts, who also earned all-tournament honors this week, finished third at UAB's Fall Beach Blast back in November and took second place at the South Alabama Women's Invitational in February. Her victory this week is the first by a UAB women's golfer since teammate Jaime Ritter won the Great Smokies Intercollegiate to open the 2010-11 season.
"Caitlin has been playing so well, it was really just a matter of time before she broke through and won," UAB coach Kim Wilcox said. "She's just such a consistent player and stays so even-keeled. She didn't have more than one bad hole either day this week, and that was a big part of her success."
UAB finished the Belmont Invitational with four golfers in the top 20. Ana Martin tied for 15th place with a score of 160 (82-78), followed by Ritter in 18th at 161 (81-80) and Lindsey Gipson-- competing as an individual -- in 19th at 162 (82-80).
Holly Robinson tied for 25th at 164 (80-84) and Margaret Yeh tied for 31st at 169 (83-86) to round out the Blazer contingent.
UAB returns to action next week close to home at the Samford Invitational. The tournament will be played April 9-10 at Limestone Springs Golf Club in Oneonta, Ala., and will serve as the Blazers' final tuneup before the Conference USA Championships, scheduled for April 22-24 in Gulf Shores, Ala.
