UCF wins the team title at Mercedes-Benz Intercollegiate

Molly Smith, a freshman at UCF, shot 12-under 201 with rounds of 66-70-65 to win her first collegiate victory, propelling the UCF women's golf team to their second consecutive tournament win this season at the Mercedes-Benz Intercollegiate, hosted at the Cherokee Country Club in Knoxville, TN.

Smith, playing in her third collegiate event, fired a total score of 12-under 201 to register a win by a margin of five strokes over Manassanan Chotikabhukkana of Tennessee, who shot 70-67-69 to finish runners-up at 7-under 206.

The 201 is a new Mercedes-Benz Intercollegiate record and the third-best 54-hole score in UCF history.

Smith headed into the final round with a narrow one-shot lead, having accumulated a total of 6-under 136 through rounds of 66 and 70. She produced her best performance when it mattered most, recording a total of eight birdies in the final round, including 6-under on the back nine.

Notably, Smith secured her individual victory with a remarkable string of five consecutive birdies on Holes No. 13 through 17 during the back nine. Smith led all competitors at the tournament with 15 birdies and her final-round 65 ties for the fifth-best 18-hole score in program history.

In the team competition, UCF, represented by Molly Smith, Jess Baker, Brittany Shin, Tunrada Piddon and Camille Banzet, posted rounds of 271-291-273 for a 12-stroke victory, securing a total score of 17-under 835.

The University of Mississippi took the runner-up spot with rounds of 284-285-278, finishing at 5-under 847.

Maryland and Pepperdine finished tied for third with their total scores of even-par 852.