WEST COLUMBIA, S.C. – Audrey Ryu (E) won individual medalist honors, and Furman (+34) won the team title by nine strokes at the 2025 Southern Conference Women's Golf Championship Wednesday at the par-72, 6,098 yard Solina Golf Club in West Columbia, S.C.
With the win, the Paladins, who have won eight of the last ten league titles and 21 overall, clinched the SoCon's automatic bid to the NCAA Regionals, which will be held May 5-7. The NCAA field will be announced live on the Golf Channel on Wed., April 23, at 1 p.m.
Ryu's victory gives Furman a league-best 20 SoCon individual medalists. A sophomore from Dublin, Ohio, she recorded a team-high four birdies in the final round, including consecutive birdies on No. 5 and No. 6, to finish the day with a 74 and take the title by three strokes over Mikayla Dubnik (+3) of Mercer.
A biology major with a 4.0 GPA, Ryu, who captured her first career individual win, was also honored with the 2025 SoCon Pinnacle Award, which is given annually to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative GPA on the championship team.
"It feels surreal to get the win, because this round was a battle all day," said Ryu after the victory. "I tried to remain patient, but I had a whirlwind of emotions and just tried to keep my cool. Today felt like a marathon. I'm so happy that my team won, and to get to see all of my teammates on the last hole was amazing.
"I'm very grateful, and I would like to thank the Southern Conference for putting on this tournament and my teammates and my coaches for supporting me through the season," added Ryu. "I appreciate all the parents who came out to watch us, and it was wonderful to see my friends on all the other SoCon teams. I definitely will never forget this tournament."
Furman placed four players among the top 20, including senior Alise Knudson (+8), who finished sixth after pacing the Paladins with a 71 and three birdies, including back to back birdies on No. 14 and No. 15, in the final round.
Freshman Jenna Madden (+12) carded a 74 with three birdies on Wednesday to place 11th, while freshman Eva Ringwald (+17) posted a 79 with a birdie on No. 6 to tie for 20th. Sophomore Kelsi Mauzy (+26) finished 29th after scoring an 80 with birdies on No. 3 and No. 11 in round three.
"This week we worked really hard on doing the things we needed to do to make this happen," said Furman head coach Jeff Hull after winning the title. "It was great because we got everything going the right way. Everything we worked on from wedges to the short game to having the right mindset came together because everybody bought in. I'm really proud of the team and how they worked so hard this week.
"Audrey is not only an amazing player but also a 4.0 student and a concert pianist," continued Hull. "For her to get her first win in the SoCon Championship was really special, and I'm glad we could be a part of that, as well."
In the team competition, Chattanooga (+43) finished second, followed by Mercer (+54) in third place.
1 Furman 295 305 298 898 +34
1 Audrey Ryu 66 76 74 216 E
6 Alise Knudson 75 78 71 224 +8
11 Jenna Madden 76 78 74 228 +12
T20 Eva Ringwald 81 73 79 233 +17
29 Kelsi Mauzy 78 84 80 242 +26
