Yorkshire player's fifth victory on US college circuit

Jodi Ewart in action (from the Golfweek website). Click on image to enlarge it.

Jodi Ewart wins Mountain West Conference title for 3rd time

The University of New Mexico women's team went wire-to-wire to win its third straight Mountain West Conference Championship today - and Yorkshire's Jodi Ewart, ranked No 6 in Golfweek's US women's college standings, won the individual title by four strokes.

It was the third time Jodi had taken the title. She previously was Mountain West Conference champion in 2007 and again in 2008.

Over the three rounds at what is recognised as a tough track, Ewart had one eagle, eight birdies, two double bogeys and seven bogeys to finish at one-over-par 217.
The Lobos, No. 22 in the Golfweek/Sagarin College Rankings, finished at 34-over 898 and defeated No. 25 Texas Christian University by nine strokes at Black Horse Golf Course in Seaside, California
Jodi Ewart, sixth in Golfweek’s rankings, shot a final-round 71 to win the individual title by four strokes. It was the fifth win of her US college golf circuit career, and the first since the 2009 Arizona Wildcat Invitational.

Northallerton (near York)-born Ewart, who had her 22nd birthday on January 7, finished at 1-over 217, four shots ahead of TCU’s Rachel Raastad. New Mexico’s Rebecca Hellbom was another shot back at 222, and Wyoming’s Jonelle Martinez and BYU’s Maggie Yuan tied for fourth at 227.

What a pity for Great Britain & Ireland's Curtis Cup hopes of beating the Americans at Essex County Club in June that Jodi is turning professional at the end of her four years at the University of New Mexico - BEFORE the Curtis Cup contest.

She would have been an automatic selection by the GB&I selectors had she remained an amateur until late June and would have given the Americans a run for their money. But Jodi is determined to pursue a tour pro golf career as soon as possible, cutting her teeth on the US Duramed Futures Tour.
New Mexico had posted just one top-5 finish this spring, a fourth-place showing last week at the ASU Invitational in Tempe, Ariz. But the Lobos showed good form all week in California, leading each of the three rounds to win their third consecutive Mountain West title and seventh in the past 11 seasons. Colorado State finished third at 54-over 914, and UNLV came in at 928.