MIAMI, Fla. – Down at Miami Lakes Golf Club, the Jacksonville University women's golf team closed the fall season strong with a top-five showing at the Pat Bradley Invitational hosted by FIU.

The Dolphins finished fifth in a field of 15, finishing higher than Division 1 opponents FAU, UC Riverside, Middle Tennessee, FIU, Troy, Merrimack and The Citadel. Jacksonville also finished above some of the best non-Division 1 schools in the country in Division 2's #2 ranked Barry as well as NJCAA's #2 ranked Seminole State and #4 ranked Daytona State.

Jacksonville carded a team score of +29 across three rounds, six strokes behind fourth-place finisher Michigan. In fields of 15 or more, Jacksonville's fifth place finish is its best since finishing third out of 16 teams at the Edisto Island Classic in October of 2024.

Issy Hopkins was once again the leader in the clubhouse for the 'Phins, finishing tied for 10^th earning the senior her second consecutive top-10 finish. Hopkins turned in rounds of Even Par, Five Over and Even Par for a five-over score for the tournament. Her final score was her best as a Dolphin and earned Hopkins her third ever top-10 finish, a week removed from her previous best-ever finish.

Hopkins started tournament play with five birdies in the first round and two in her second. She finished out play with three birdies during the third round. She birdied the par-five 16^th hole twice.

Just a stroke behind Hopkins was junior Emma Wells, who finished T12 with a six-over final round score. Wells recorded rounds of four-over, one-under and three-over. It was the best finish of the season for Wells in her first season as a 'Phin. The junior Jacksonville native earned herself 10 birdies across her time in the 305 area code.

Freshman Abbie Justiz was the team's third highest finisher at T36. The frosh jumped up 31 spots on the leaderboard across the final day of play with a two-under showing in round three, her first round under par of her college career. Justiz sank three of her four final round birdies on the back-nine, finishing the day with birdies on the 17^th and 18^th holes. Justiz's final score was a season-best.

Junior Cambree Hodge finished T43 with a score of 12 over while sophomore Hannah Lowery earned a T46 spot with a +13 score. Both Hodge and Lowery earned season-best finishes. 

Jacksonville rides its hot finish of its first three tournaments under head coach Jessica Welch into the winter months before the team is back in action Jan. 25-26 for the Sea Best Invitational, hosted by the Dolphins, at Jacksonville's San Jose Country Club.

COACH'S COMMENTS
On the tournament: "It's such a testament to the hard work that they've put in this season," Welch said. "They battled so hard this week. It rained off and on both days and they dealt with wind gusts of 40+ mph. They did such a great job staying patient and going one shot at a time in those conditions. Days like that wear you out more mentally than physically and I'm so proud of the way they handled it."

On Hopkins: "Issy brings out the best in all of us. Her attitude and the work ethic she brings to the team every day is infectious." 

On playing in front of Pat Bradley, World Golf Hall of Famer and namesake of FIU's tournament: "She's a legend from the LPGA. She's won multiple majors, played in and captained Solheim Cups, and is in the LPGA Hall of Fame. She is an amazing person and I'm so glad the girls got to meet her. The LPGA wouldn't be what it is without her and every player now owes her generation so much."