March 13, 2013

IRVING, Texas - University of Tulsa senior Kristina Merkle topped an outstanding field at the Clover Cup and has been named Conference USA Women's Golfer of the Week, it was announced today by the league office.

Merkle claimed individual medalist honors against a field that featured 11 ranked golfers and six teams among the top 41 of the Golfstat rankings.

Merkle carded even par 72 for her first two rounds and had a final round six-under par 66 to win individual medalist honors at the 2013 Clover Cup against a field that featured 11 ranked golfers and six teams among the top 41 of the Golfstat rankings.

Merkle began the final day in 10th place and six shots behind the two-round leader Jenny Haglund of SMU. She finished with a 54-hole total of six-under par 210 and finished two strokes ahead of second-place Chirapat Jao-Javanil of Oklahoma.

Beginning the day on hole 6 in the shotgun start, Merkle had a bogey-free final round and turned in a birdie on the par-4 10th for her first of the day. She then went three straight holes - Nos. 14, 15, and 16 - with birdies and took a four-under par score into her final 11 holes. Merkle birdied the par-4 second and fourth holes and then went even-par on her final two holes of the day to finish by tying her best-ever collegiate round of 66.

The individual title was Merkle's second collegiate tournament victory. Her previous win came as a freshman at the Johnie Imes Invitational, just her third collegiate event. She has now placed among the top-5 in 15 of 36 career tournaments.