Moore falls short of the national crown

By Curtis Brooks; Jonathan Bym
Sports Editor; Asst. Sports Editor

August 30, 2012

Photo courtesy of UNCP Sports Information

Moore's impressive finish to the 2011-2012 season allowed her to qualify for the 2012 U.S. Amateur Open that took place in August.

While a majority of her peers were enjoying their summer breaks, Black and Gold senior Meghan Moore was setting new milestones as she posted the best finish by a female golfer in the Peach Belt Conference history at the 2012 NCAA Division II Women's Golf Championships.

After four consecutive days of competition in Louisville, Ky., Moore finished just two strokes behind eventual national champion Abbey Gittings of Nova Southeastern University on May 19.

The Durham native's second place finish was the highest of any Peach Belt Conference golfer since USC Aiken's Jeff Goff secured the individual crown in 2008.

Moore was tied for first place on the 13th hole when Gittings recorded a double bogey.

Gittings was able to secure the individual title after a pair of birdies on the 15th and 16th holes, and the then-junior finished the final round by posting pars on the 17th and 18th holes.

"The NCAA Championship this past spring was such a great experience. "Being able to play with some of the best players in the country really gave me a lot of confidence in my game," Moore said.

Liliana Cammisa and Daniela Ortiz both finished a single stroke behind Moore, as the duo from Nova Southeastern tied for a third place finish.

Photo courtesy of UNCP Sports Information

After a successful junior campaign, Moore looks to finish as the nation's top golfer in her final year at UNCP.

Nova Southeastern captured the fourth consecutive national title after three of their student-athletes ranked in the top three.

The senior fourth round performance at the 6,283 yard Persimmon Ridge Golf Course was her best round of the tournament.

Moore was the only Brave who qualified for the final tournament of the campaign.

Moore finished the campaign leading the PBC with a 76.03 stroke average, which was also a school record.

The senior's impressive stroke average ranks second all-time in league history behind former University of Montevallo golfer Emily Gibson's stroke average of 75.75 from two seasons prior.

Motivated by last season's finish and a host of postseason recognitions, including qualifying for the U.S. Women's Amateur Championship and being named an All-American, Moore remains optimistic that she will win the national title.

"In order for me to even think about winning the NCAA championships this year, I must play good at regionals," Moore said.

"But I'm just going to continue to work hard on my game and see what happens," Moore said.

The reigning PBC Player of the Year has another year of eligibility left for the Black and Gold to try for a national crown.