Lipscomb University finished in fifth place at the National Golf Invitational at Ak-Chin Southern Dunes Golf Club, according to a May 17 announcement. The team posted a total score of 898, with Casey Yu leading the Bisons by tying for ninth place after shooting a final round of 69 and ending with an overall score of 219.
The result marks the seventh top-five finish for Lipscomb this season. Yu’s performance improved each round, culminating in her best score on the final day and closing out her collegiate career on a high note. Christina Surcey tied for nineteenth place with a total of 225, posting her best round—a two-under-par 70—in the third round. Savannah Howell tied for twenty-fifth at 228 after starting strong but facing challenges in the last round. Ava Bankston finished tied for twenty-ninth with a total of 229, showing consistency through most rounds before finishing with an eighty. Katya Tibbetts placed forty-seventh overall after improving each day and closing with a seventy-seven.
The Bisons ended their season with an overall record of eighty-seven wins, fifty-eight losses, and one tie. The team will return almost its entire roster next year, losing only Casey Yu and Caroline King.
Head coach Shannon O’Brien said: “I am really proud of the girls this season. All 10 players have helped enrich our culture & deepen our talent. This season’s roster returns 8 of the 10 players, and they all have a bright future to keep building on what has already been established in this program.” O’Brien continued: “In my era of headship, my goal was to be a faith-driven builder, teaching the player’s that victory is found where athletic excellence and spiritual maturity meet. Success for me has been measured in seeing players steward their God-given talents with integrity under pressure, knowing their worth transcends the scorecard, and watching them leave the course equipped to win at home, love their team, and build the next generation.” She added: “I genuinely believe that true victory is a multi-dimensional journey. It is helping a player unlock their divine potential so that whether they shoot a 65 or an 105+, their identity remains unshakeable—cultivating patience in the grind, integrity in the individual test, and a legacy of faith that builds others long after the final putt drops.” O’Brien concluded: “I walk away from my era of coaching at Lipscomb, feeling a deep peace and satisfaction in witnessing the players in this program develop in this way. I am forever grateful to every player that said yes to me, and allowed me the honor to walk with them.”
