Highlanders Go One and Two Individually at Hobble Creek

Tuesday, September 13

Springville, Utah / Hobble Creek GC

University of California, Riverside

Hobble Creek Fall Classic

Highlanders Go One and Two Individually at Hobble Creek

9/13/2022 2:31:00 PM | Women's Golf

RIVERSIDE, Calif. - UC Riverside capped off its first women's golf tournament of the new season in grandiose style, going one and two individually after a full 54 holes at the Hobble Creek Classic in Springville, Utah.

Tiffany Le took the individual title after carding a 73 in the final round, while Kate Villegas went low with a 69 to shoot six spots up the leaderboard into a runner-up finish. It's the first individual tournament win for UC Riverside since Jakeishya Le captured the 2018 Wyoming Cowgirl Desert Intercollegiate in Palm Desert.

"What a great week for both Tiffany & Katie," head coach Mary Ritchie said. "Both of our Highlanders are in contention a lot and they each have the ability to win. It was super fun that they came in first and second this week. Hobble Creek is a tight course. For Tiffany to have her first collegiate win there is for sure, a big confidence booster and a great way to start the year!"

Le started her day tied atop the leaderboard, but birdied three holes and shot for par on 11 holes in Tuesday's final round. The sophomore started her morning with a bogey on four, but shot for par on six of her next seven with a birdie on a par-5 nine en route to her first collegiate tournament title.

Villegas started Tuesday's final round tied for eighth before her surge. The junior teed off on Tuesday with a birdie on five before going 1-under on 11, 12, 13 and 16.

Le carded 12 birdies overall in Utah, the second-most in the field, while Villegas finished third with a 4.11 on par 4 scoring.

Gabi Kiger vaulted 11 spots up the leaderboard after round three with a 77 to finish out her first collegiate tournament, while fellow freshman Amanda De Jesus also made a nine-spot jump over the final 18 holes. De Jesus tied for second in the field with an average of 4.67 on par 5 holes.

Ultimately, four Highlanders carded their lowest rounds of the tournament over the final 18 holes as UCR finished seventh as a team.

UC Riverside has a quick turnaround with a trip to the Pacific Northwest this weekend, teeing off at the Coeur D'Alene Resort Collegiate Invitational at Coeur D'Alene Resort, hosted by Gonzaga. The Highlanders will start the three-day event on Sunday, September 18 with live results on Golfstat.