SALEM, Ore. – Given a second go-around at the Illahe Country Club, the Linfield women’s golf team lowered its team score from the previous round but could not move up in the team standings, finishing third as second-round action of the Willamette Invitational concluded Sunday afternoon.

Neither the Wildcats nor the host Bearcats could catch George Fox, who won the tournament by an impressive 55 strokes. The Bruins placed five golfers in the top 10, including Kelsey Morrison. The junior earned medalist honors, carding a 75-78=153. Willamette’s Nicole Smith posted a round-low 76 on Day 2 to vault from fifth to second place, finishing with a two-day total of 83-76=159.

Alexandria Smith (Sr., Bellingham, Wash.) showed the most improvement of Linfield’s five golfers on Day 2, shaving five strokes off her first-round score to finish with an 88-83=171. She placed sixth overall.

Despite tallying one more stroke over the second 18 holes than she had for the first 18, Hannah Christianson proved to be the Wildcats’ most consistent golfer over the two-day tournament. She tied for seventh with a cumulative total of 87-88=175.

Sophie Corr tied for 10th with a two-day total of 90-86=176.

Lydia Smith and Brinn Hovde finished 14th and 15th, respectively. Smith carded a 97-94=191 while Hovde finished with a two-day total of 95-98=193.

AHEAD: The third and final piece that determines the league crown and automatic bid to the national tournament, the NWC Championships, is scheduled for next Saturday and Sunday at the Columbia Point Golf Course in Richland, Wash.