MONROE, NC. – Banthita "Pearl" Phoncharatkun came in second place at the Jerry Surratt Memorial Intercollegiate as the Lee University women's golf team came in third place as a team on Tuesday afternoon with a score of 890. The Lady Flames finished ten shots back of the top two teams in the country as the host school Wingate University took first while Anderson University was second.
 
Phoncharatkun led the way for Lee coming in second with a score of 216 (72-70-74). She finished five strokes behind the winner, Amely Bochaton from Wingate. She shot a 209 (71-70-68) to claim the individual title.
 
 Haley Blevins was the second-best finisher with a three-round score of 221 (72-77-72) to come in ninth. Freshman Lehane Louis-Dumond was tied for 16th. She shot a 225 (76-74-75) over the three-round tournament.
 
Olivia Ireland came in tied for 27th with a score of 230 (80-73-77). Hope Harrell rounded out the scoring with a 235 (81-79-75) for 47^th.
 
Wingate won their home tournament with a score of 876 which was one stroke better than Anderson who had an 877.
 
The Lady Flames will be back in action on March 24-25 at the Pinetree CC Women's Intercollegiate. The tournament will be held in Kennesaw, Ga and will be hosted by Kennesaw State University.

Coach Geandra Almeida's Thoughts:

"I'm incredibly proud of our team's performance this week. Pearl had a fantastic tournament, finishing second individually, and Haley secured a strong top-9 finish. Lehane played three solid rounds, while Olivia and Hope also made key contributions to our team score. Our first round was especially impressive—we battled through cold and rain with great attitudes and mental toughness, never letting the conditions affect us.

What excites me most is how we went head-to-head with the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the country, even holding the lead for a while. The third round was the only real separator, but this week was extremely encouraging. We've made significant adjustments since our first event, and it's rewarding to see that progress.

It's also important to recognize Hannah, who was sidelined with an injury but made a tremendous impact as an assistant. She exemplified what it means to be a great teammate, proving that leadership and support can be just as valuable as performance. We still have work to do, but this was a big step in the right direction!"