FRENCH LICK, Ind. – Carson-Newman head women's golf coach Suzanne Strudwick shot her best round of the Legends' Tour's LPGA Senior Championship and clinched a top 20 finish at the inaugural Wednesday at the Pete Dye Course in French Lick, Ind.
Strudwick shot an even-par 72 to wrap up the event with a three-day 225 and in a tie for 20th with Christa Johnson and Donna Edwards. The Eagles' mentor improved her score in every round of the tournament.
Strudwick, the 1993 LPGA Rookie of the Year, last played a full tournament schedule in 2004. She has two professional tournament wins to her name, the Open de France Dames in 1989 and the AGF Ladies' Open in 1991.
She started out round three in topsy-turvy fashion on the front nine. She birdied the first and seventh holes, but bogeyed the par five third before dropping two shots on the final two holes of the front nine to make the turn at one-over.
Strudwick quickly atoned for the miscue by birdieing the par-four 10th. That was followed by seven straight holes of par or better. She birdied 16 before closing the round with a bogey to finish one-under on the back nine.
Trish Johnson coasted to the tournament championship on the back of a five-under 67 on day one. Michele Redman finished three strokes back of her at one-under. A grand total of 81 golfers challenged the Pete Dye Course in the event's inaugural year.