Oct. 6, 2005
Cullowhee. N.C. - Senior Ashley Hovda and sophomore Matt Cook were honored today by the Southern Conference as they were named the SoCon's Golfers of the Month for September. For Hovda, the monthly award was the second of her career, accompanying the same honor for November of last season. Cook's honor was both his, and Western Carolina's, first men's golf Player of the Month award.
Hovda, who has claimed back-to-back individual medalist honors in Western's last two tournaments and helped the Catamounts win three-consecutive team titles, is averaging 70.33 strokes per round over the first three events of 2005, two of which came record in September. Her average ranks as the lowest individual total in the nation as Hovda is the only women's golfer to currently average under 71 strokes.
The Springfield, Ohio, native finished tied for ninth at the season-opening Appalachian State/Draper Valley Invitational on Sept. 12-13 as the Catamounts won the team title. Two weeks later, Hovda carded a then-school record 138 (68-70) to earn individual medalist honors at the Elon/Sea Trail Intercollegiate in Sunset Beach, N.C., leading WCU to its second-consecutive team crown.
Cook has also claimed back-to-back individual titles at the Catamounts' first two fall tournaments. The second-year golfer from Murphy, N.C., is averaging 69.37 over his two title-winning performances. After claiming individual medalist honors at the 21st-annual Raines Development Group Intercollegiate Tournament at the Country Club of South Carolina and the Elon/Sea Trail Intercollegiate, Cook now has seven top 10 finishes with three titles and one loss in a playoff in eight career events played. Additionally, he ranks 24th in the Golfstat Cup rankings.
Winners of a school-record, three-consecutive team and individual titles, Western's women return to the links on October 21-23 at the East Carolina Lady Pirate Intercollegiate in Greenville, N.C., where the Catamounts will look to improve upon last season's 10th-place showing. The men travel to the James Madison Invitational at the Lakeview Golf Club in Harrisonburg, Va., on Oct. 10-11.
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