Arkansas cruises to victory at Blessings behind Kajal Mistry, Cory Lopez

The host Razorbacks ran away for an 18-stroke victory over runner-up LSU.

The only real question still hanging in the balance after the turn on the women’s side of the Blessings Collegiate Invitational wasn’t if host Arkansas end up on the top podium, but only if the Razorbacks would have the lowest score in each of the tournament’s three rounds.

Then, Kajal Mistry and Cory Lopez warmed up and even that point seemed moot.

Mistry birdied five of her last 10 holes and Lopez finished with birdies on three of her final four as coach Shauna Taylor’s squad lapped the field, posting an even-par team score of 864 for the three-day event, which was good enough for an 18-stroke victory over runner-up LSU.

Mistry finished the day with a 2-under 70 while Julia Gregg added a 72 and Lopez a 73. That meant individual overall tournament winner Brooke Matthews, who also carded a 73, nearly didn’t crack the top three on her own team.

Matthews still easily won the individual crown, finishing five strokes ahead of LSU’s Ingrid Lindblad with a three-day total of 10-under 206. The Tigers, led by Lindblad’s 211 and a fifth-place showing from Latanna Stone (218) finished second in the race for the team title.

Wednesday’s low round went to Pimnipa Panthong, the former Kent State star who transferred to South Carolina for her senior year. Panthong struggled out of the gate on Wednesday, dropping a stroke on the opening hole and then adding a double-bogey on No. 4, but she fired a 31 on the back to finish with a 68 on the day. The Gamecocks finished third in the team event, followed by Ole Miss (24 over) and Georgia (31 over).

Marina Escobar Domingo of Florida was even on the day to finish fourth in the individual standings for the tournament.