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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Purdom Sets New Career Mark in Impressive Fashion
9/7/2017 | Women's Golf
KIAWAH ISLAND, S.C. - The wind, the third-round nerves, everything was in The Ocean Course's favor Tuesday. But Ole Miss junior Kie Purdom was one of eight golfers to beat the Kiawah Island track on the final day of The Ocean Course Invitational.
The Lexington, Kentucky, native was one of just eight competitors to shoot under par in Round 3, and she did so in an impressive fashion. Purdom went 1-under for the best 18-hole score of her collegiate career at 72 strokes. That contributed to her lowest tournament score at Ole Miss, 223. For that performance, she tips her cap to the Rebels' sport psychologist, Josie Nicholson.
"I've been working hard with Dr. Josie trying to stay in the moment and play the course not the players," Purdom said. "I've been focusing on just playing my best and not thinking about the future because I cannot control it. All I can control is the shot or putt I'm standing over."
Purdom displayed fantastic control in that final round. She birdied her second hole of the day but hit a rough patch midway through, picking up three straight bogeys. She nearly added a fourth bogey when she found the bunker on the 14th hole, but she went up-and-down beautifully to save par. As it turned out, that was the turning point, as the geological engineering major birdied her next three holes.
"The back 9 was super windy - a consistent 25-30 mph wind," Purdom recalled. "I knew those holes were going to be the hardest on the course, so I dialed in my focus even more. My approach shots were really good and I had less than six feet for each birdie."
That excellent wedge play took her from 2-over par entering the 15th hole to 1-under walking off the 17th green.
"Kie played an impressive round of golf today," head coach Kory Henkes said Tuesday. "The fact that she birdied three of the hardest finishing holes shows her ability level as a player."
Purdom has been elevating her level of play since she arrived at Ole Miss. She improved her scoring average by 2.44 strokes per 18 holes between her freshman and sophomore years. And her average so far this season (74.33) is another improvement of 3.11 strokes per round.
"I love her confidence and positive attitude on the course," Henkes said. "She is able to put bad shots or holes out of her mind and move on quickly. Kie is very coachable on the course and I look forward to her continued improvement."
Purdom and the Rebels are back at work this week, looking to improve on a strong first outing of the season. Their next opportunity comes Sept. 22 when they head to Greenville, South Carolina for Furman's Lady Paladin Invitational.
For all Ole Miss women's golf news and information, go to OleMissSports.com, and follow the Rebels on Twitter at @OleMissWGolf and Facebook at Ole Miss Women's Golf.
Players Mentioned
