Making History

Tuesday, October 15

Fort Wayne, Ind.

9 a.m.

Central Michigan University

Mastodon Fall Invite

Photo by: Benjamin Suddendorf

10/15/2019 5:14:00 PM | Women's Golf

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Freshman Claudia Salvador posts first win in program history

By: Andy Sneddon, CMUChippewas.com

FORT WAYNE, Ind. – Claudia Salvador made Central Michigan history on Tuesday as she became the first Chippewa woman to win a collegiate golf tournament.

Salvador, a freshman from Madrid, Spain, shot an even-par 71 to finish at 8-over par 221 and win the Mastodon Fall Invitational, hosted by Purdue Fort Wayne, at Pine Valley Country Club. Salvador held a one-shot lead entering Tuesday's final round after she shot 74-76—150 in the first two rounds on Monday.

She finished seven shots ahead of runner-up Nicole Jung of Taylor, and her 71 ties for the third-best score in program history.

"The conditions were extremely difficult, the wind was blowing about 20 mph and the course really dried out," CMU coach Jim Earle said. "It was tough playing, which made that par round that much more impressive. She got it done, and in convincing fashion.

"It's a big day for us, it's a big day for the program, a big day for the university to have the first individual champion in school history."

The Chippewas posted a 315 team score to finish with a 54-hole 940 total. CMU finished second behind Green Bay, which closed with a 320 for a 933 total. The Chippewas began the day in second place, 12 shots behind the Phoenix.

A month ago, the Chippewas opened the fall season with the first tournament victory in program history, and they also have a third-place finish (at Eastern Michigan) to their credit this fall. The Chippewas have started three freshmen – Salvador, Padgett Chitty and Zoe Vartyan – throughout the fall, and they have been without lineup mainstay Jami Laude for their last two tournaments because of an injury.

"I don't know if the freshmen really grasp the history of CMU golf yet," Earle said. "But to understand that we're in the final group and competing for a title. We have a first, we have a second, and we have a third, and that's pretty big for this young reboot of a program."

Also for the Chippewas, junior Meghan Deardorff closed with an 81 to finish with a 235 total and in a tie for eighth; Vartyan and Chitty tied for 23^rd at 244 as Vartyan closed with a 79, her second consecutive sub-80 round, and Chitty shot 84. CMU junior Rachel Leucuta shot 89 to finish at 258.

Salvador was rock-solid, sprinkling two birdies and two bogeys among 14 pars. She started on the 16^th hole under the shotgun-start format, and her bogeys came on holes No. 3 and No. 4. She rebounded with back-to-back birdies beginning on No. 10 then rode the par train home.

"Two bogeys, two birdies," Earle said. "Yeah that is about as clean as it gets. I think she just drove the ball magnificently. It's a tough driving golf course for sure. Off the tee she is quite special.

"She was nervous, but I let her know that everybody's nervous. She was pretty confident that she was going to have a good day. She had a great warmup and she was just off to the races."

Earle assigned graduate assistant Bria Colosky to walk with Salvador throughout her round. It's a strategy – having Colosky stay with one particular player throughout an entire round -- that Earle has employed, to great success, throughout the fall.

"I thought it was fitting that Bria was on the bag, so to speak," he said. "(Colosky is) the best player in school history and to be able to utilize her experience and guide Claudia to her first ever victory, that was a big help."

Salvador was the first player to sign in Earle's first recruiting class, which includes Vartyan and Chitty.

"I take a great deal of pride in all of my players' individual successes," Earle said. "Claudia is my first recruit at Central Michigan; she was the first one to sign; She's just starting to believe that she can be very, very good. It's going to be a fun four years."

Earle said that all the Chippewas can draw a measure of confidence and inspiration from Salvador's victory, which checks another 'first' off the Chippewas' long goal list.

"It's happened to one of us and I think this will help to show that it's just going to take some more hard work, some fierce persevere, and some belief in yourself," Earle said. "Claudia, she's really starting to believe in herself. You can't tee it up with doubt. That makes it very hard to get the job done, for sure."