The women’s golf team moved ahead three places in the final round to finish in a tie for sixth place at the Napa River Grill Cardinal Classic in Louisville, Ky. on Tuesday.

Despite losing to rivals Notre Dame and Louisville, new Bulls coach Marci Kornegay is pleased with the team’s play.

“Overall, I was impressed with their solid play,” she said. “They really showed a lot of heart out there, especially when things got tough.”

Kylene Pulley finished atop the team’s scorecard for the second straight tournament, nabbing a top 10 finish in a tie for ninth place, shooting 222. Christina Jones concluded the tournament with the second best score for the Bulls, as she did last week, carding a 224. Kornegay is thrilled to have two competitive seniors on the roster.

“They’re pushing each other all the time, in practice and in competition,” she said. “Both want to be in the No. 1 spot for the next week. I think it’s a great thing for the program to have those two seniors battling it out. It sets the pace for players like Emily (Van Etten).”

Van Etten finished her second tournament for USF at 236. Kornegay says Pulley and Jones are the undisputed leaders of today’s team, but sees Van Etten grasping the reigns in the future.

“She’s building experience early on – that’s so

valuable,” she said. “Last week, she felt like she had to lead the team in scoring. She’s loosened up, and is only worrying about the shot presently at hand. When she’s a senior, she’s going to be awesome.”

Gennifer Mendez and Jessica Schnebly tied each other shooting 238 for the tournament.

Notre Dame won its second straight tournament to open the season, swinging for 878 and dominating the competition. The team was led by

So-Hyun Park, who shot 213 to take home the individual medallist honors. In addition, Notre Dame’s Lisa Mauna finished in a tie for sixth at 221 after taking home the medallist honors last week in South Carolina. Coach Kornegay said the Big East is known for having tough comeptition.

“Notre Dame has done a good job; they’re real consistent,” Kornegay said. “Louisville, Notre Dame and USF are going to be gunning for that championship. Fortunately, we’ll see these teams quite a bit. We’ll see them both throughout the entire year.”